Search

The object of this study was to measure the repair strength of denture base resins repaired using, (a) standard heat activated polymerising resin, (b) a denture base resin especially formulated for microwave-activated polymerisation, and (c) an autopolymerising resin. Comparisons were made between conventional water bath and microwave curing and autopolymerised resin repairs, using transverse bend and impact tests. Repairs with the two heat-activated denture base resins were carried out using conventional dental flasking procedures, whereas autopolymerised resin repairs were carried out in open gypsum moulds. The results indicate that the transverse strength, and impact resistance of the resin specimens repaired with microwave irradiation were generally superior to specimens repaired by using a water bath curing cycle or the use of an autopolymerising resin.

A plastic layer polymerized on the surface of denture base material in a thickness of, in average, 40 microns by means of visible light was significantly harder with respect to industrial acrylic surfaces. At an irradiation time of 90s according to factory prescription no harder surface appeared even in case of multiple covering. The surface became significantly harder with an irradiation of 150s. Of the denture base material products the Trevalon and the QC-20 products showed the forming of significantly harder surface.

This investigation studies the relationship of hardness, elastic modulus and scratch width as dependent variables to the abrasion resistance of twenty-three dental acrylic resins. The multiple correlation R, when all three variables are used as predictors, is 0.727. Because of the significant intercorrelations between the variables themselves a stepwise multiple regression analysis showed hardness as a redundant variable. Abrasive wear can be estimated from the following equation Abrasive wear = 806.1 - 0.1498 modulus + 0.681 scratch width (R = 0.725; standard deviation of estimate +/- 50.8) The deletion of scratch width does not appreciably reduce the standard deviation of the estimate: Abrasive wear = 1063.4 - 0.2055 modulus (r = 0.683; standard deviation of estimate +/- 50.3) The method of curing the specimens conformed to the respective manufacturers' instructions. Abrasion and scratch tests were performed using methods developed by the authors and previously described in the literature, whereas the hardness and elastic modulus results were devised from standard test procedures. Further research is currently in progress to improve the predictive power of abrasion resistance with additional new variables.

Trevalon is a denture base material which can be cured by three basic alternative curing cycles, thus providing a choice of processing technique which can be selected to suit laboratory or clinical needs. The flexibility of working properties is probably due to the interaction between on the one hand, the high molecular weight of the powder and on the other hand, the particle size distribution which are important factors influencing the doughing time (14 min), working time (40 min) and the exothermic reaction. The effect of each curing cycle upon the following properties of the material was investigated; dimensional accuracy, Young's modulus, modulus of rupture, impact resistance, water sorption, indentation resistance, creep and transverse bend behaviour. The particle size and molecular weight distribution of the powder were also evaluated. A clinical investigation of Trevalon was carried out by constructing complete dentures for a sample of patients, divided into three groups, each group having dentures processed by one of the three alternative curing cycles. Although some laboratory tests demonstrated that there were statistically significant differences between specimen bases, no clinical differences were recorded between dentures 1 year after construction.

A test rig has been designed for transverse bend testing on the Instron machine. The rig is a robust, accurately machined piece of equipment that enables this test to be carried out with accuracy and ease. A range of denture base polymers has been tested under similar conditions to the ISO standard recommendations (ISO/R 1567, 1974), and in this series all the materials except 3 satisfied the criteria laid down in the standard. The specimens were tested in water after 1 month because it has been shown previously that the materials are almost fully saturated at that time (Stafford and Huggett, 1973). Nevertheless, this immersion in water may also weaken the material and this could account for the failure of some materials to pass the standards criteria.