Continuous and Short Fiber Reinforced Composites: Optical Coherence Tomography and Mechanical Characterization

Abstract

In this dissertation, Dr. Sanaz Saadat investigated the polymerization behavior and mechanical performance of short fiber and continuous fiber–reinforced dental composites using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and three-point bending (flexural strength) testing. Optimizing polymerization behavior and mechanical performance remains a major challenge in dental composite restorations. This research investigates the effects of short fiber and continuous fiber reinforcement on polymerization behavior and flexural strength. Real-time Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging of deep Class I restorations revealed that continuous fiber reinforcement reduced polymerization shrinkage induced gap formation, with the greatest effect observed in conventional composite formulations. Flexural strength 3-points bending test further emphasized that combining short fiber reinforced composites with the continuous fiber achieved higher strength and exhibited more favorable, less catastrophic failure patterns than conventional composites. Overall, the incorporation of continuous fiber increased both the flexural strength and deformation capacity of the tested composite systems, and combined use of short and continuous fibers improved interfacial adaptation, lowered shrinkage stress, and enhanced overall structural performance, supporting continuous fiber reinforcement as an effective approach for increasing the durability of composite restorations.