Dental and Bio Composites

Overview

Dental composites have continuously evolved since the 1970s, aiming to replace amalgam-based fillings with safer, more aesthetically pleasing, and mechanically durable alternatives. Although global research has largely focused on resin chemistry and filler types, the role of fibre reinforcement has received limited attention. Research conducted at UNSW through AMAC addressed this gap by systematically investigating the impact of fibre additions on the mechanical, physical, and antibacterial properties of dental composites. It was demonstrated that while fibre reinforcement can enhance strength, it may compromise flowability and interfacial bonding if not adequately treated. To overcome these limitations, innovative surface treatment methods and silane coupling strategies were developed to improve fibre–resin adhesion and reduce the risk of premature failure. This work also contributed to a deeper understanding of viscoelastic behaviour, the combined effects of fillers and fibres, and performance under cyclic loading conditions, supported by both finite element analysis and experimental validation. This research culminated in the commercialisation of Stela, a next-generation self-cure dental composite developed in partnership with SDI Ltd., now available on the market. The product eliminates the requirement for light curing, reduces polymerisation shrinkage, and enhances marginal sealing, addressing key clinical challenges in restorative dentistry.

Building on this foundation, the research expanded into biomedical implant applications, culminating in the formation of Setonix Technologies, a UNSW spinout focused on orthopaedic innovation. A fibre-reinforced, self-curing composite was developed for spinal and cranial implants, providing a metal-free alternative to conventional materials such as titanium and PEEK. This material integrates bioactive fillers with silanised glass fibres, resulting in enhanced mechanical integrity and improved biological response. The composite has undergone extensive in vitro validation and is progressing towards preclinical evaluation.

In parallel, development is underway on a new class of self-healing, antibacterial bio-composites designed to autonomously respond to micro-damage while preventing bacterial colonisation, thereby extending the functional lifespan of orthopaedic implants in high-risk clinical settings.

  • Novel combinations of mechanical and biological properties are required when developing new polymer-based restorative dental composites. This study reports a promising strategy to develop preventive and restorative dental materials by synthesizing multifunctional dental composites reinforced with short S-glass fibres and chitosan integrated halloysite nanotubes (HNTs). An enhanced interfacial bonding strength and a dispersion capability of the micro-/nao-fillers in the dental resin matrix are obtained by the newly developed surface modification process, resulting in increased mechanical and antibacterial properties.

    • Project 1 - A multifunctional dental composite reinforced with short S-glass fibres and chitosan integrated halloysite nanotubes (HNTs).
    • Project 2 – Molecular dynamics study on dental composites.
    • Project 3 – 3D printable dental and bio-composites.

  • Mechanical and physical characteristics such as strength, modulus, toughness, polymerization shrinkage and stress, and rheological properties, for a range of dental materials (ceramics, composites, and human tooth) can be determined using the various cutting-edge methodologies in experimental dental research. Scientific findings and technologies would support dental industry ultimately dedicating to improving clinical practices of dentistry.

    • Project 1 – Mechanical, physical and handling characterisation of flowable and packable dental composites reinforced with micro-sized S-Glass fibres.
    • Project 2 – Progressive failure and fracture analysis of the dental materials using acoustic emission and photonics techniques.
    • Project 3 – Polymerisation stress and curing kinetics of photo-curable and self-curable dental composites.
    • Project 4 – Bimaterial interface analysis using experimental, numerical and analytical approaches.

  • An ideal tooth restorative material is required to possess mechanical/nanomechanical properties that are similar to natural enamel so that the major tooth function of mastication can be carried out without affecting the vertical dimension of occlusion, etc. This study focusses on the experimental investigation to optimize the composition of fibre reinforced dental composites which helps in increasing the tribological performance of high load-bearing posterior restoration

    • Project 1 - Development of material microstructure – nanomechanical/tribological property relations
    • Project 2 - Synthesis of novel dental materials with improved nanomechanical/tribological performance
    • Investigating coupled temperature-displacement in reinforced dental composites
    • analysing stress at the restoration-tooth Interface due to mechanical loadings
    • Evaluating fracture toughness of dental resin composites
    • Developing density–modulus relationship for enamel and dentine
    • Investigating biomechanical behaviour of functionally graded biomaterials dental implant
     
    • Project 1: Structural optimization of dental restorations for reducing stress singularity and controlling fracture
    • Project 2: Improvement of mechanical and thermal properties at the inlay-cement-tooth interface: reducing stress singularity and controlling fracture 
    • Project 3: Optimizing mechanical properties flowable resin composites restorations using random S-glass fibres

Publications
    1. Chan RSM; Lee SJ; Wang F; Zhou T; Kishan R; Shum HC; Yang W; Su YX; Tsoi JKH; Diwan AD; Prusty BG; Cho K, 2025, 'Engineered 3D-Printable Nanohydroxyapatite Biocomposites with Cold Plasma-Tailored Surface Features to Boost Osseointegration', ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c22032
    2. Thadathil Varghese J; Islam F; Farrar P; Prusty BG, 2025, 'Optimising dental restorative composites: Numerical and statistical analysis of polymerization shrinkage and elastic modulus effects', Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 167, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.106981
    3. Thadathil Varghese J; Raju ; Farrar P; Prusty BG, 2025, 'Fibre-reinforced dental composites: Influence of aspect ratio and loading percentage on material performance', Dental Materials, 41, pp. 561 - 574, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dental.2025.03.001
    4. Mukhopadhyay SC; Senn I; Ramakrishna V; George B; Prusty G; Diwan A, 2024, 'Feasibility analysis of wireless power delivery to implanted sensors of XLIF patients', International Journal on Smart Sensing and Intelligent Systems, 17, http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/ijssis-2024-0028
    5. Thadathil Varghese, J., Raju, R., Farrar, P., Prentice, L. and Prusty, B. (2024), Comparative analysis of self-cure and dual cure-dental composites on their physico-mechanical behaviour. Aust Dent J. https://doi.org/10.1111/adj.13004​
    6. Jerrin Thadathil Varghese, Faisal Islam, Paul Farrar, Leon Prentice, B. Gangadhara Prusty, Multi-response optimisation analysis of material properties in dental restorative composites under the influence of thermal and thermomechanical stimuli – A 3D finite element study, Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, Volume 150, 2024, 106363, ISSN 1751-6161, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.106363.
    7. Raju, Loy, C. W., Cho, K., Farrar, P., & Prusty, B. G. (2023). Design and tribological performance of short S-Glass fibre reinforced biocomposites on the influence of fibre length and concentration. Scientific Reports, 13(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-023-28645-6
    8. Thadathil Varghese, J., Cho, K., Farrar, P., Prentice, L., & Prusty, B. G. (2023). Effect of silane coupling agent and concentration on fracture toughness and water sorption behaviour of fibre-reinforced dental composites. Dental Materials, 39(4), 362-371. doi:10.1016/j.dental.2023.03.002
    9. Babaei B; Prusty BG, 2023, 'Enhancing the mechanical stability of restored teeth with interfacial cracks: Finite element analysis', Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 148, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.106191
    10. Ramakrishna, V. A. S., Chamoli, U., Larosa, A. G., Mukhopadhyay, S. C., Gangadhara Prusty, B., & Diwan, A. D. (2023). A biomechanical comparison of posterior fixation approaches in lumbar fusion using computed tomography based lumbosacral spine modelling. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine, 237(2), 243-253. doi:10.1177/09544119221149119
    11. Ramakrishna, V. A. S., Chamoli, U., Mukhopadhyay, S. C., Diwan, A. D., & Prusty, B. G. (2023). Measuring compressive loads on a ‘smart’ lumbar interbody fusion cage: Proof of concept. Journal of Biomechanics, 147. doi:10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111440
    12. Babaei, B., Cella, S., Farrar, P., Prentice, L., & Prusty, B. G. (2022). The influence of dental restoration depth, internal cavity angle, and material properties on biomechanical resistance of a treated molar tooth. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 133. doi:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105305
    13. Babaei, B., Shouha, P., Birman, V., Farrar, P., Prentice, L., & Prusty, G. (2022). The effect of dental restoration geometry and material properties on biomechanical behaviour of a treated molar tooth: A 3D finite element analysis. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 125. doi:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.104892
    14. Cho, K., Rajan, G., Farrar, P., Prentice, L., & Prusty, B. G. (2022). Dental resin composites: A review on materials to product realizations. Composites Part B: Engineering, 230. doi:10.1016/j.compositesb.2021.109495
    15. Thadathil Varghese, J., Babaei, B., Farrar, P., Prentice, L., & Prusty, B. G. (2022). Influence of thermal and thermomechanical stimuli on a molar tooth treated with resin-based restorative dental composites. Dental Materials, 38(5), 811-823. doi:10.1016/j.dental.2022.04.010
    16. Thadathil Varghese, J., Cho, K., Farrar, P., Prentice, L., & Prusty, B. G. (2022). Influence of silane coupling agent on the mechanical performance of flowable fibre-reinforced dental composites. Dental Materials, 38(7), 1173-1183. doi:10.1016/j.dental.2022.06.002
    17. Ramakrishna, V. A. S., Chamoli, U., Larosa, A. G., Mukhopadhyay, S. C., Prusty, B. G., & Diwan, A. D. (2022). Finite element modeling of temporal bone graft changes in XLIF: Quantifying biomechanical effects at adjacent levels. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 40(6), 1420-1435. doi:10.1002/jor.25166
    18. Raju, B. Gangadhara Prusty, Paul Farrar, Meaghan Keating, Leon Prentice. Amalgam Alternative Materials: A Comparative Study of Physical Properties. Proceedings of the 100th General Session & Exhibition of the IADR and 5th Meeting of the Asia Pacific Region, Virtual conference, June 20-25, 2022.
    19. Behl, S., Farahani, A. D., Rajan, G., Ellakwa, A., Farrar, P., Thordarson, P., & Prusty, B. G. (2021). Evaluation of rheological behaviour of flowable dental composites reinforced with low aspect ratio micro-sized glass fibres. Dental Materials, 37(1), 131-142. doi:10.1016/j.dental.2020.10.023
    20. Behl, S., Rajan, G., Farrar, P., Prentice, L., & Prusty, B. G. (2021). Evaluation of depth-wise post-gel polymerisation shrinkage behaviour of flowable dental composites. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 124. doi:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.104860
    21. Rajan, G., Wong, A., Farrar, P., & Prusty, G. B. (2021). Post-gel polymerisation shrinkage profiling of polymer biomaterials using a chirped fibre Bragg grating. Scientific Reports, 11(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-020-80838-5
    22. Raju, R., Rajan, G., Farrar, P., & Prusty, B. G. (2021). Dimensional stability of short fibre reinforced flowable dental composites. Scientific Reports, 11(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-021-83947-x
    23. Wang, G., Raju, R., Cho, K., Wong, S., Prusty, B. G., & Stenzel, M. H. (2020). 3D printed nanocomposites using polymer grafted graphene oxide prepared by multicomponent Passerini reaction. Polymer Chemistry, 11(45), 7253-7263. doi:10.1039/d0py01286f
    24. Behl, S., Rajan, G., Ellakwa, A., Farrar, P., & Prusty, B. G. (2020). Physical and mechanical characterisation of flowable dental composites reinforced with short aspect ratio micro-sized S-Glass fibres. Materials Science and Engineering C, 111. doi:10.1016/j.msec.2020.110771
    25. Cho, K., Sul, J. H., Stenzel, M. H., Farrar, P., & Prusty, B. G. (2020). Experimental cum computational investigation on interfacial and mechanical behavior of short glass fiber reinforced dental composites. Composites Part B: Engineering, 200. doi:10.1016/j.compositesb.2020.108294
    26. Cho, K., Yasir, M., Jung, M., Willcox, M. D. P., Stenzel, M. H., Rajan, G., Farrar, P., Prusty, B. G. (2020). Hybrid engineered dental composites by multiscale reinforcements with chitosan-integrated halloysite nanotubes and S-glass fibers. Composites Part B: Engineering, 202. doi:10.1016/j.compositesb.2020.108448
    27. Ellakwa, A., Raju, R., Sheng, C., Rajan, G., & Prusty, B. G. (2020). Acoustic emission and finite element study on the influence of cusp angles on zirconia dental crowns. Dental Materials, 36(12), 1524-1535. doi:10.1016/j.dental.2020.09.007
    28. Ramakrishna, V. A. S., Chamoli, U., Rajan, G., Mukhopadhyay, S. C., Prusty, B. G., & Diwan, A. D. (2020). Smart orthopaedic implants: A targeted approach for continuous postoperative evaluation in the spine. Journal of Biomechanics, 104. doi:10.1016/j.jbiomech.2020.109690
    29. Armitage, L., Buller, A., Rajan, G., Prusty, G., Simmons, A., & Kark, L. (2020). Clinical utility of pressure feedback to socket design and fabrication. Prosthetics and Orthotics International, 44(1), 18-26. doi:10.1177/0309364619868364
    30. Jerrin Thadathil Varghese, Behzad Babaei, Raju, Paul Farrar, Gangadhara Prusty (2020). Thermal and Mechanical Analyses of Dental Composites for Class II Cavity Restoration in a Molar Tooth: A Finite Element Study. In AINSE-ANBUG Neutron Scattering Symposium 2020. Australia, 11-13 November 2020
    31. Cho, K., Wang, G., Fang, J., Rajan, G., Stenzel, M. H., Farrar, P., & Prusty, B. G. (2019). Selective Atomic-Level Etching on Short S-Glass Fibres to Control Interfacial Properties for Restorative Dental Composites. Scientific Reports, 9(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-40524-7
    32. Cho, K., Wang, G., Raju, R., Rajan, G., Fang, J., Stenzel, M. H., Farrar, P., & Gangadhara Prusty, B. (2019). Influence of Surface Treatment on the Interfacial and Mechanical Properties of Short S-Glass Fiber-Reinforced Dental Composites. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 11(35), 32328-32338. doi:10.1021/acsami.9b01857
    33. Rajan, G., Raju, R., Jinachandran, S., Farrar, P., Xi, J., & Prusty, B. G. (2019). Polymerisation Shrinkage Profiling of Dental Composites using Optical Fibre Sensing and their Correlation with Degree of Conversion and Curing Rate. Scientific Reports, 9(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-40162-z
    34. Armitage, L., Rajan, G., Kark, L., Simmons, A., & Prusty, B. G. (2019). Simultaneous measurement of normal and shear stress using fiber bragg grating sensors in prosthetic applications. IEEE Sensors Journal, 19(17), 7383-7390. doi:10.1109/JSEN.2019.2914702
    35. Cho, K., Wang, G., Rajan, G., Ellakwa, A., Stenzel, M. H., Shouha, P., Farrar. F, & Gangadhara Prusty, B. (2017). Investigation on the surface treatment of short S2-Glass fibre for dental composites. Paper presented at the 9th Australasian Congress on Applied Mechanics, ACAM 2017.
    36. Kamboj, S., Rajan, G., Farrar, P., & Prusty, B. G. (2017). Failure analysis of dental restorative composites in class II (MOD) cavity using FEM. Paper presented at the 9th Australasian Congress on Applied Mechanics, ACAM 2017.
    37. Raju, Rajan, G., Ellakwa, A., Hoffman, M., Shouha, P., Farrar, P., & Gangadhara Prusty, B. (2017). In-vitro investigation of S-2 glass fibre aspect ratio on flexure strength, hardness and wear performance of fibre reinforced flowable dental composites. Paper presented at the 9th Australasian Congress on Applied Mechanics, ACAM 2017.
    38. Vulic, J., Chitsaz, M., Prusty, G., & Ford, R. (2017). Data analytics informing MOOC continuous improvement. Paper presented at the CEUR Workshop Proceedings.
    39. Rajan, G., Shouha, P., Ellakwa, A., Bhowmik, K., Xi, J., & Prusty, G. (2016). Evaluation of the physical properties of dental resin composites using optical fiber sensing technology. Dental Materials, 32(9), 1113-1123. doi:10.1016/j.dental.2016.06.015
    40. Rajan, G., Shouha, P., Ellakwa, A., Xi, J., & Prusty, G. (2016). Fibre Bragg grating based characterization system for dental resin composites. Paper presented at the Optics InfoBase Conference Papers.

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