Micromechanical interlocking structure at the filler/resin interface for dental composites: a review

Abstract Dental resin composites (DRCs) are popular materials for repairing caries or dental defect, requiring excellent properties to cope with the complex oral environment. Filler/resin interface interaction has a significant impact on the physicochemical/biological properties and service life of DRCs. Various chemical and physical modification methods on filler/resin interface have been introduced and studied, and the physical micromechanical interlocking caused by the modification of fillers morphology and structure is a promising method. This paper firstly introduces the composition and development of DRCs, then reviews the chemical and physical modification methods of the filler/resin interface, mainly discusses the interface micromechanical interlocking structures and their enhancement mechanism for DRCs, finally give a summary on the existing problems and development potential.