Assessing the physical and mechanical properties of 3D printed acrylic material for denture base application

Objective: Three-dimensional (3D) printing is increasingly being utilised in the dental field because of its time-saving potential and cost effectiveness. It enables dental practitioners to eliminate several fabrication steps, achieve higher precision, and attain consistency in complex prosthetic models. The properties of 3D-printed resin materials can be affected by many factors, including the printing orientation (PO) and insufficient post-curing time (CT). This study aimed to investigate the effect of PO and CT on the mechanical and physical properties of a 3D-printed denture base resin (NextDent). Methods: 3D-printed specimens were fabricated in 0 degrees, 45 degrees, and 90 degrees POs, followed by three CTs (20, 30, and 50 min). The microhardness was tested using a Vickers hardness test, while the flexural property was evaluated using a three-point bending test. Sorption and solubility were measured after the specimens had been stored in an artificial saliva for 42 days, and the degree of conversion during polymerisation was analysed using Fourier Transform Infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy.Results: The flexural strength of the material significantly increased (p < 0.05) when the printing orientation was changed from 0 degrees to 90 degrees. A similar increase was observed in the hardness, degree of conversion, and water sorption results. In general, no significant dif-ference (p > 0.05) in any of the tested properties was found when the post-curing times were increased from 20 to 50 min.Significance: The highest physical and mechanical properties of the 3D-printed denture base resin can be obtained by printing vertically (90 degrees angle to the platform base). The minimal post-curing time to achieve ideal results is 30 min, as further curing will have no significant effect on the properties of the material.(c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of The Academy of Dental Materials. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creative-commons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is increasingly used in the dental field for its time-saving potential and cost effectiveness. This study investigated the effect of printing orientation (PO) and post-curing time (CT) on the mechanical and physical properties of a 3D-printed denture base resin. The results showed that printing vertically (90 degrees angle to the platform base) resulted in the highest physical and mechanical properties, and a post-curing time of 30 minutes was sufficient to achieve ideal results.