Effect of resin thickness, and curing time on the micro-hardness of bulk-fill resin composites

Background: Bulk-fill resin composite has been introduced, their manufacturers claimed that they can be applied in bulks of 4mm, without necessitating a prolonged curing time, or a light curing unit with increased irradiance. Thus this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of resin thickness, and curing time on the micro-hardness of two bulk -fill resin composites; Tetric Evo-Ceram [TE], and X-trafil [XF]. Material and Methods: 120 cylindrical specimens were prepared, and divided into 24 groups (n=5/group), representing the two bulk-fill resin composites, three different material thicknesses (2, 3 and 4 mm) and the four curing times used in the study (10, 20, 40, and 60 seconds). The s…