A Comparison of the Surface and Mechanical Properties of 3D Printable Denture‐Base Resin Material and Conventional Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)

Purpose To study the surface and mechanical properties of 3D printed denture-base resin materials and compare them with conventional heat-cured polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Materials and methods Three brands of 3D printed denture-base resin materials and one conventional heat-cured PMMA were tested in this study: NextDent 3D printed resin, Dentona 3D printed resin, ASIGA 3D printed resin, and Meliodent conventional PMMA. Sixty specimens (25 × 25 × 3 mm) were fabricated (n=15 per group) to perform the following tests: wettability, surface roughness, and microhardness. One hundred twenty specimens (65 × 10 × 3 mm) were fabricated (n=30 per group) and stored in distilled water at (37 ±1°C) for 7 days. Specimens (N = 15) in each group were subjected to the three-point bending test and impact strength test, employing the Charpy configuration on un-notched specimens. The morphology of the fractured specimens was studied under scanning electron microscope (SEM). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey-pairwise multiple comparisons with 95% confidence interval. P-values of ≤0.05 were considered significant. Results The conventional heat-cured specimens demonstrated the highest means of surface roughness (0.23 ± 0.07 μm), Vickers hardness number (18.11 ±0.65) and flexural strength (92.44 ±7.91 MPa), and the lowest mean of contact angle (66.71° ±3.38°). ASIGA group showed the highest mean of contact angle (73.44° ±2.74°) and the lowest mean of surface roughness (0.19 ±0.03 μm). The highest mean of impact strength was recorded in the Dentona group (17.98 ±1.76 kg/m2). NextDent specimens showed the lowest means of Vickers hardness number (16.20 ±0.93), flexural strength (74.89 ±8.44 MPa), impact strength (15.20 ±0.69 kg/m2), and recorded the highest mean of bending modulus (2,115.80 ±178.95 MPa). Conclusions 3D printed resin exhibited noticeable differences in surface and mechanical properties between different brands and with conventional heat-polymerized PMMA.