Abstract
The aim of this study is to analyze the stress generated by the shrinkage of lutting materials in restorative therapy with indirect composite inlays; we follow the way of the tension transmission from the lutting material to the restoration and to the dental tissues. In our study it was used a virtual construction of an upper first molar, created with the Finite Element Method. Our conclusions demonstrate that the shrinkage of the lutting resin influence the fracture resistance of the restored teeth, and, of course, the longevity of the indirect inlays. Keywords: indirect inlays, composite shrinkage, polymerization stress, prosthesis structure, dental treatment