Next, samples were stored in distilled water at room temperature. After selected period of time (30 min, 24 h, 72 h, 120 h, 168 h, 240 h, 336 h, 504 h, 672 h, and 1344 h), the generated strains in the plates were visualized in circular transmission polariscope FL200 (Gunt, Hamburg, Germany). Photoelastic images were registered by digital camera (Canon EOS 5D Mark II/Canon Inc., Tokyo, Japan), both in parallel and perpendicular orientation of filter polarization planes. Met-Ilo computer program (J. Szala, 2012, Poland) was applied to determine the arrangement and the dimension of interference fringes. The analysis of stress and strain was carried out in a two-dimensional state of the stress and three-dimensional state of deformations. The analysis of stress and strain was carried out in a two-dimensional state of the stresses and three-dimensional state of deformations. Additionally, the calculation was conducted following this assumption: the relative change in composite volume caused the extension of composite and the extension of base material being “tooth model” (epoxy resin plate). Accordingly, it was possible to determine the radial and circumferential stresses based on the Equations (4) and (5) given by Timoshenko [43 ]:
where σr—the radial stress, σθ—the circumferential stress, ps—the shrinkage stress around composite filling, a—the radius of the internal orifices in the plate, b—the radius of the largest of isochromatic fringe, and r—the radius contained in the region from a to b.
Upon calculating the shrinkage stress on the circumference of the orifices, the radial and circumferential stresses were determined on the basis of Equations (2) and (3).