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Based on the results of this study, Er, Cr: YSGG laser was confirmed to be as effective as air-abrasion for laboratory composite repair.

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BackgroundThe use of composites in dental restoration has been commonly criticized, due to their underwhelming mechanical properties. This problem may be solved partially by preheating. The present research aims to determine the effect of preheating on the mechanical properties of two different classes of composites. Material and Methods A Silorane-based (Silorane) and a Methacrylate-based (Z250) composite were preheated to different temperatures (25, 37, and 68 °C) and afterwards were tested with the appropriate devices for each testing protocol. The material’s flexural strength, elastic modulus, and Vickers microhardness were evaluated. Two-way ANOVA, and Tukey’s post hoc were used to analyze the data. Results Microhardness and elastic modulus increased with preheating, while flexural strength values did not increase significantly with preheating. Furthermore the methacrylate-based composite (Z250) showed higher values compared to the Silorane-based composite (Silorane) in all the tested properties. Conclusions Preheating Silorane enhances the composite’s microhardness and elastic modulus but does not affect its flexural strength. On the other hand, preheating Z250 increases its microhardness but does not change its flexural strength or elastic modulus. In addition, the Z250 composite shows higher microhardness and flexural strength than Silorane, but the elastic modulus values with preheating are similar. Therefore Z250 seems to have better mechanical properties making it the better choice in a clinical situation. Key words:Composite, elastic modulus, flexural strength, microhardness, preheating.

Objectives: The effect of 15% carbamide peroxide bleaching gel on color stability and surface topography of a giomer and a microfilled composite resin was evaluated in the present in vitro study. Study design: Forty discs measuring 10 mm in diameter and 1 mm in thickness were prepared from a giomer and a microfilled composite resin. Each material yielded 20 discs with completely smooth surfaces. Then a spectrophotometer was used to measure L* (lightness), a* (redness, greenness) and b* (blueness, yellowness) color coordinates of all the discs. Subsequently, the specimens were subjected to 15% carbamide peroxide bleaching gel. After measuring the color coordinates once again, color changes (ΔE*) were calculated by the CIELAB system. Six specimens from each material (three specimens before bleaching agent application and three specimens thereafter) were viewed under an atomic force microscope (AFM) for surface topography evaluation. Data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests at α=0.05. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in color changes (ΔE*) between the two materials (P>0.05). In addition, no significant differences were detected in surface roughness between composite resin and giomer discs before and after bleaching (P>0.05 for both). However, in both materials the differences in surface roughness were significant before and after bleaching procedures (P<0.001). Conclusions: Based on the results of the present study it was concluded that 15% carbamide peroxide does not induce clinically detectable color changes in composite resin and giomer despite an increase in surface roughness. Key words:Bleaching, color stability, giomer, microfilled composite.