Influence of Aldehydes on Selected Mechanical Properties of Resin Composites

The present study investigated whether propanol, a monofunctional aldehyde, was able to improve the mechanical properties of dental polymers. The underlying hypothesis was that a cross-linking reaction is possible between various functional groups of different polymers. Propanol was added to monomer mixtures, which were then made light-curing and loaded with filler. The monomer mixtures were varied with respect to monomer composition and content of aldehyde. Four mechanical properties of the experimental resin composites were determined. Addition of propanol gave rise to significant improvements in mechanical properties, which may be indicative of a cross-linking ability of monofunctional aldehydes. With the exception of modulus of elasticity, the mechanical properties of resin composites based on UEDMA/HEMA were superior to those of BISGMA/TEGDMA-based materials, even though the improvements in flexural strength and modulus of resilience were most pronounced for the BISGMA/TEGDMA-based resin composites.