Evaluation of a light cured dental composite containing a radiopaque glass filler

Light curing dental composite pastes were prepared using an indigenously developed Bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate (BIS-GMA) resin and a commercially available radiopaque glass filler of different particle sizes. SEM examination of the virgin filler and composite surface revealed agglomeration of particles in virgin state and fine encapsulation of the filler particles in resin matrix of composite. Variation of the filler content shows that an amount of 220 phr (parts per hundred of resin mixture) of the radiopaque glass filler of larger grain size or 250 phr of the smaller grain size incorporated into the paste tends to improve the compressive strength and diametral tensile strength considerably compared to composite containing conventional quartz fillers.