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Residual stresses in reactive resins-based composites are associated to the net volumetric contraction (shrinkage) arising during the cross-linking reactions. Depending on the restoration geometry (the ratio of the free surface area to the volume of the cavity) the frozen-in stresses can be as high as the strength of the dental composites. This is the main reason why the effectiveness and then the durability of restorations with composites remains quite lower than those realized with metal alloys based materials. In this paper we first explore the possibility to circumvent the mathematical complexity arising from the determination of residual stresses in reactive systems three-dimensionally constrained. Then, the results of our modeling approach are applied to a series of commercially available composites showing that almost all samples develop residual stresses such that the restoration undergoes failure as soon as it is realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]