Introduction:

Differences in the mechanical properties of ceramic and resin-based materials pose the question of which of the two will perform better in the long run.

Objectives:

Evaluate the flexural resistance and color stability of different indirect esthetic restorative materials.

Methods:

The materials selected were Filtek™ Z250 XT (3M ESPE), Ceramage (SHOFU Dental), VITA VM® LC and VITA ENAMIC® (VITA Zahnfabrik), IPS e.max® (Ivoclar-Vivadent) and Zolid FX (Amann Girrbach AG). The flexural resistance assay (n = 10) was conducted in a universal mechanical testing machine. Color readings (n = 5) were taken with a VITA Easyshade V® spectrophotometer.

Results:

All-ceramic materials had better mechanical performance (p < 0.001). Color stability results show that Ceramage, IPS e.max® and Zolid FX displayed a statistically significant difference (p ≤ 0.002) with respect to Filtek Z250 XT, VITA VM® LC and VITA ENAMIC®.

Conclusions:

All-ceramic materials exhibited greater flexural resistance and color stability than polymer-based materials. However, indirect esthetic materials with polymers in their composition, such as Ceramage, are presented as a valid alternative, due to their appropriate mechanical properties and their color stability, which is similar to that of ceramic materials.

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