Travel beyond Clinical Uses of Fiber Reinforced Composites (FRCs) in Dentistry: A Review of Past Employments, Present Applications, and Future Perspectives

The reinforcementof resins with shortor long fibershasmultiple applications invariousengineering andbiomedical fields.The useoffiberreinforcedcomposites(FRCs)indentistryhasbeendescribedintheliteraturefrommorethan40years.Invitrostudies evaluatedmechanicalpropertiessuchasflexuralstrength,fatigueresistance,fracturestrength,layerthickness,bacterialadhesion, bondingcharacteristicswithlongfibers,wovenfibers,andFRC posts.Also,multiple clinicalapplicationssuchasreplacementof missing teethby resin-bonded adhesive fixed dental prostheses of various kinds, reinforcementelementsof denturesor pontics, anddirectconstructionofpostsandcoreshavebeeninvestigated.Inorthodontics,FRCshavebeenusedalsoforactiveandpassive orthodontic applications, such as anchorage units, en-masse movement units, and postorthodontic tooth retention. FRCs have been extensively testedin the literature,but todaythe advances in newtechnologies involving the introductionof nanofillers or newfibersalongwithunderstandingthedesignprinciplesofFRCdevicesopennewfieldsofresearchforthesematerialsbothin vitroandinvivo.ThepresentreviewdescribespastandpresentapplicationsofFRCsandintroducessomefutureperspectiveson theuseofthesematerials.