The hydrolytic stability of various silane combinations and their effects on biomechanical properties and water sorption of an experimental dental composite made of bis-GMA and TEGDMA and silane-treated fillers were evaluated. Four silane coupling agents and their blends with a cross-linker silane were used as coupling agents for the 0.7-mu m BaSiO(3) fillers. The silanization was carried out in toluene containing 1% (v/v) of one of the four following organofunctional silane coupling agents: 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-styrylethyltrimethoxysilane and 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane. Blends of these functional silanes with 1% (v/v) of a cross-linker silane, 1,2-bis-(triethoxysilyl) ethane were also used for silanization. Composites were prepared by mixing 5.00 g Ba-glass filler with 2.00 g of a resin mixture consisting of bis-GMA (58.8 wt%) and TEGDMA (39.2 wt%) in a high-speed mixer. Three-point bending test specimens (2.0 mm x 2.0 mm x 25.0 mm) were fabricated (n = 8) in a mould and photo-polymerized. The degree of conversion was measured with FT-IR. Biomechanical testing was carried out according to the ISO 10477 standard. Specimens were tested (flexural strength) after 30 days of water storage (37 degrees C, distilled water). Water sorption and solubility (in wt%) were also measured on 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21 and 30 days in water storage. Statistical analysis with ANOVA showed that the highest flexural strength was obtained when 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane + 1,2-bis-(triethoxysilyl) ethane (100.5 MPa; SD, 25.7 MPa) was used in the silanization step, and the lowest was obtained when 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane + 1,2-bis-(triethoxysilyl) ethane (28.9 MPa; SD, 8.8 MPa) was used. The three-point bending strength was significantly affected by the functionality of the main silane tested (p < 0.05), but not by the addition of the cross-linker silane (p > 0.05). The composite that had been silanized with 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane had the greatest amount of water uptake (1.75%), and the composite silanized with 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane + 1,2-bis-(triethoxysilyl) ethane had the least (1.08%). In conclusion, selection of the functional silane monomer can be a significant factor in developing filled resin composites in dentistry. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011