Aim: The aim is to evaluate the influence of resin solvent on Vickers microhardness, flexural strength, and flexural modulus of a resin composite in order to test the ability of resin solvent to soften or weaken resin composite during replacement of failed restoration.
Materials and methods: Fifty specimens were prepared from Tetric N-Ceram; forty used for flexural strength and elastic modulus tests and ten used for microhardness test. For flexural strength; they were divided into four groups of ten specimens each; in first group; specimens were not subjected to resin solvent (control), in second, third and fourth groups; specimens were subjected to resin solvent for 1, 3, and 5 minutes respectively. For microhardness, specimens were examined before after application of resin solvent for 1, 3, and 5 minutes with a total of forty readings. Collected data were statistically analyzed.
Results: Resin solvent was found to reduce significantly the flexure strength of Tetric N-Ceram compared to the control group. Differences in flexure strength between 1, 3, and 5 minutes applications were statistically nonsignificant. For elastic modulus and microhardness, the influence of resin solvent on resin composite was statistically nonsignificant.
Conclusion: Resin solvent weakens the flexural strength of resin composite but did not affect its microhardness or elastic modulus. Increasing the time of application from 1, 3, and 5 minutes did not further reduce the flexural strength.
Clinical significance: Resin solvent had shown promising potentials to reduce the strength and hence facilitate removal of failed composite restoration during replacement.