Possibilities of Composite Resins for Direct Restorations in Anterior Teeth: A Review

Abstract

The aesthetic and functional harmony of teeth plays an important role in self-esteem and social interactions, with direct composite resin restorations being widely used due to their versatility, esthetic properties, and ease of use. In this context, composite resins—materials used in both anterior and posterior restorations—have undergone significant developments since their introduction, with advances in filler particle size, polymer matrix composition, and esthetic performance. This study aimed to evaluate, through a literature review, the composite resins currently available on the market and indicated for direct anterior restorations. A search was conducted in the Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases in April 2025, considering only English-language articles published within the last ten years that compared commercial brands and indicated their use in direct anterior restorations, or that presented results relevant to esthetic direct restorations. Of the 943 articles retrieved, 785 were identified as duplicates, and after screening and full-text reading, 19 were included in the review. A total of 34 composite resins were reported in the studies, with nanohybrid composites being the most frequent, suggesting a preference for this type of material due to their combination of mechanical strength, polishability, and gloss retention. The review revealed a predominance of in vitro studies and a scarcity of long-term clinical trials. The most frequently evaluated parameters were marginal microleakage, color stability, surface roughness, and wear, highlighting that restorative success depends on both esthetic and functional performance. The findings indicated no absolute superiority of one composite resin class over another, as performance depends on the composition, commercial brand, and clinical protocol adopted. Overall, contemporary composite resins proved satisfactory for anterior restorations. It can be concluded that certain commercial brands, such as IPS Empress Direct, Clearfil Majesty, and Filtek Supreme XTE, demonstrated significant advantages that may influence clinical decision-making for esthetic restorations, as they showed favorable clinical or laboratory performance when compared with other composite resins across different parameters.