a self - cure , dual - cure or tri - cure polymerizable dental composition is provided with at least one functional chemical . the dental composition is divided into a three - part composition to avoid stability issues caused by degradation and / or loss of function of one component in the extended presence of another component , and the three parts are packaged in a tri - barrel syringe or cartridge delivery system to avoid premature chemical interaction between the functional chemical , redox initiator and / or acid / base .