Glass fiber-reinforced composites in dentistry

Abstract

Enormous improvements in dental materials’ manufacturing for the aim of producing durable dental materials without compromising the aesthetic properties were developed. One of the approaches that fulfill this aim is the use of reinforcing glass fibers as fillers into dental materials, typically resin polymers, in order to obtain glass fiber-reinforced composites. Glass fiber-reinforced composite offered many advantages to the dental materials though some limitations were recorded in many literature. In this review, a study of the glass fibers’ types, factors affecting the properties and the properties of glass fibers reinforced materials was carried out; in addition, research papers that experimentally studied their applications in dentistry were presented. The success of glass fibers reinforced composites in dentistry depends on glass fibers’ composition, orientation, distribution, amount, length and adhesion; these factors once employed according to the required clinical situation would provide the essential reinforcement to the dental restorations and appliances.