Correlation between polymerization shrinkage and marginal fit of temporary crowns

Abstract: Objectives: During polymerization, temporary c&b materials (t-c&b) undergo shrinkage which may lead to marginal inaccuracies of the temporary restoration. The degree of correlation between these two factors is still unknown. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the polymerization shrinkage of t-c&bs and to evaluate, to which degree the shrinkage is correlated to the width of the marginal gap. Methods: Six different t-c&bs (2 monomethacrylates and 4 dimethacrylates) were used to fabricate temporary crowns (n =12) on two prepared teeth (stainless steel) of different diameters (5 and 7mm). The crown diameters and marginal discrepancy were measured at various storage times after mixing (10, 30, 60min) using a travelling microscope. In addition, the shrinkage (bonded-disk method) and content of inorganic filler (ashing method) were recorded. The statistical analysis was carried out using parametric tests, the F-test and Pearson''s correlation (p =0.05). Results: The marginal discrepancies increased as a function of increasing storage time (10min: 0.162–0.218mm; 60min: 0.271–0.521mm). Lower values were recorded for monomethacrylates than for the dimethacrylates (greatest changes recorded during the first 30min). The shrinkage values recorded 10min after mixing varied between 3.25 and 4.10%. There was no significant relationship between the width of the marginal gap and shrinkage (p >0.05). Significance: Shrinkage values are not suitable to predict the marginal accuracy of a temporary restoration. At least 30min should elapse between fabricating and trimming temporary crowns to avoid further inaccuracies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]