The present study aimed to assess the eighteen month follow-up patient-centered outcomes of a simple and predictable protocol for 3D-printed functional complete dentures manufactured using an improved poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)–nanoTiO2. A detailed morphological and structural characterization of the PMMA–TiO2 nanocomposite, using SEM, EDX, XRD, and AFM, after 3D-printing procedure and post-wearing micro-CT, was also performed. Methods: A total of 35 fully edentulous patients were enrolled in this prospective study. A 0.4% TiO2-nanoparticle-reinforced PMMA composite with improved mechanical strength, morphologically and structurally characterized, was used according to an additive computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) protocol for complete denture fabrication. The protocol proposed involved a three-step appointment process. Before denture insertion, 1 week, 12 month, and 18-month follow up patients were evaluated via the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS, 0–10) and Oral Health Impact Profile for Edentulous Patients (OHIP-EDENT), with a higher score meaning poor quality of life. Results: A total of 45 complete denture sets were inserted. OHIP-EDENT scored significantly better after 18 months of denture wearing, 20.43 (±4.42) compared to 52.57 (±8.16) before treatment; mean VAS was improved for all parameters assessed. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, we can state that the proposed workflow with the improved material used is a viable treatment option for patients diagnosed with complete edentulism.
This work presents, for the first time, the electrodeposition of Ni-Sn alloys in pulse current, from deep eutectic solvents (choline chloride: ethylene glycol eutectic mixture). Additionally, in this study, we report a comparison of the electrodeposition methods known as pulse and direct current. The elemental composition of the films, evaluated from EDX, remained almost constant independently on the electrodeposition parameters. The XRD data revealed the presence of the NiSn metastable phase, which has been confirmed by DSC analysis. This phase shows a nanocrystalline structure with crystallite sizes between 12 and 20 nm. The use of pulse current electrodeposition method has led to an improvement of alloys’ mechanical properties. Moreover, by controlling the electrodeposition parameters, we succeeded in tuning the mechanical properties of the coatings prepared through the PC method. We showed that the hardness parameters exhibited by the Ni-Sn alloys are strongly dependent on their crystallite sizes.
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