ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the difference between soft-start curing mode and standard curing mode in polymerization shrinkage stress of universal hybrid composite resins and to study effect of the soft-start curing mode on the decrease of shrinkage stress.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Three universal hybrid resins (A: Charisma, B: TPH Spectrum, and C: Esthet-X) were respectively filled in cavities (4 mm in diameter) of epoxide resin disks, 16 specimens of each. Off them, eight of the specimens for each composite resin were exposed using soft-start mode and the other eight using standard mode. Polymerization contraction stress was calculated during 48 h after curing with photo-elastic stress analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Three composite resins cured with soft-start mode showed the same trend of shrinkage stress changing as that with standard curing mode and values of polymerization shrinkage stress at 24 h after curing were (3.80 +/- 0.31) MPa, (3.21 +/- 0.40) MPa, and (2.84 +/- 0.22) MPa respectively for A, B and C composite resins. The corresponding figures for the composites with standard curing mode were (4.19 +/- 0.24) MPa, (3.69 +/- 0.33) MPa, and (3.14 +/- 0.28) MPa. Three composite resins cured with soft-start mode had significantly lower polymerization shrinkage stress compared with standard curing mode at 24 h after curing (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Using soft-start curing mold can reduce, to some extent, the polymerization shrinkage stress of universal hybrid composite resins.</p>