Abstract The application of dental restorative composites has opened wide possibilities in modern dentistry. The dental pastes studied in this work consist of a dimethacrylate-based matrix to which silica or ceramic fillers are added to improve their mechanical properties, colour stability and aesthetic appearance. The pastes were cured through free-radical polymerisation with visible light and were subjected to accelerated aging in the laboratory. The degree of monomer conversion with photo-curing, studied with FTIR and FT-Raman spectroscopy, was 42 ± 2% on average, which further advanced after aging to 56 ± 4%. The samples exhibited fluorescence at various intensities, which declined by the curing and aging procedures by a maximum of c. 20%, depending on the type of fillers present.