ABSTRACT
Prosthetic materials are expected to fulfill certain requirements. They have to meet biocompatibility and other demands: they need to be dimensionally stable, chemically resistant, durable, inert, aesthetic, and have also a low water absorption capacity [1]. In addition, the oral cavity can be considered as a quite hostile environment for dental biomaterials when one considers the varying mastication loads, pH variation, temperature variation, saliva, proteins, and blood. Modern fiber-reinforced composites, FRCs, have gained widespread acceptance in a diverse range of engineering applications and also offer the handling and aesthetics of restorative resin composites with mechanical properties approaching those of metals [2]. Today the reinforcement is achieved by using fibers such as aramid (Kevlar™), carbon, polyethylene and, in particular, various types of glass fibers [3]. In particular, FRCs with unidirectional E-glass fibers have gained popularity in numerous applications in dentistry, e.g. in periodontal splints [4], removable dentures [5], and also in fixed prostheses [6, 7].
