The use of fibre Bragg grating sensors to study dental materials like resin-based composite and gypsum products is reported. Two commercially available composite resins and three types of gypsum products were tested in order to determine polymerization contraction and setting expansion. Temperature and strain evolution during the hardening phase of the material were also obtained. The presented technique can be a good tool for dentists in order to better manipulate a material and predict how it will behave in vivo.