Intraoral Scanner Evaluation of Cyclic Wear in Heated Versus Injectable Composites for Indirect Restoration.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the cyclic abrasive wear behavior of an injectable composite and a preheated restorative composite when used as luting agents for indirect partial restorations, using a controlled in vitro model. A secondary objective was to evaluate the ability of an intraoral scanner (IOS) to detect wear progression in comparison with a non-contact profilometer (NCP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty extracted human posterior teeth were prepared for standardized lithium disilicate onlays and randomly assigned to two groups (n = 10): luting with an injectable composite or with a preheated restorative composite. Specimens were subjected to three-body toothbrushing abrasion for up to 22,500 cycles. Using an IOS and a NCP, wear was measured at baseline and following each brushing interval. Mixed-effects models were used to analyze surface roughness and volumetric wear (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Volumetric wear increased significantly with brushing cycles for both materials (p < 0.05), with no significant differences between the injectable and preheated composites (p > 0.05). Surface roughness was significantly higher for the preheated composite compared with the injectable composite at all evaluation points (p < 0.001). No significant differences were found between IOS and NCP volumetric wear measurements, although IOS data showed greater variability at higher wear levels. CONCLUSIONS: Injectable and preheated composites used as luting agents for indirect restorations showed similar resistance to abrasive wear under the conditions of this in vitro study. IOS-based wear assessment demonstrated agreement with NCP measurements, and injectable composites showed reduced surface roughness. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The present study contributes to the understanding of the wear behavior of contemporary composite materials used as luting agents and highlights the potential of IOSs as a noninvasive tool for monitoring wear over time.