Effect of repair methods and materials on the flexural strength of 3D-printed denture base resin.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the flexural strength of a 3D-printed denture base resin (Cosmos Denture), after different immediate repair techniques with surface treatments and thermocycling.

Materials And Methods: Rectangular 3D-printed denture base resin (Cosmos Denture) specimens (N = 130) were thermocycled (5,000 cycles, 5℃ and 55℃) before and after the different repair techniques (n = 10 per group) using an autopolymerized acrylic resin (Jet, J) or a hard relining resin (Soft Confort, SC), and different surface treatments: Jet resin monomer for 180 s (MMA), blasting with aluminum oxide (JAT) or erbium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser (L). The control group were intact specimens. A three-point flexural strength test was performed, and data (MPa) were analyzed by ANOVA and Games-Howell post hoc test (α = 0.05). Each failure was observed and classified through stereomicroscope images and the surface treatments were viewed by scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Results: Control group showed the highest mean of flexural strength, statistically different from the other groups ( < .001), followed by MMA+J group. The groups with L treatment were statistically similar to the MMA groups ( > .05). The JAT+J group was better than the SC and JAT+SC groups ( < .05), but similar to the other groups ( > .05). Adhesive failures were most observed in JAT groups, especially when repaired with SC. The SEM images showed surface changes for all treatments, except JAT alone.

Conclusion: Denture bases fabricated with 3D-printed resin should be preferably repaired with MMA+J. SC and JAT+SC showed the worst results. Blasting impaired the adhesion of the SC resin.