In long-term oral rehabilitation treatments, resistance of provisional crowns is a very important factor, especially in cases of an extensive edentulous distal space. The aim of this laboratorial study was to evaluate an acrylic resin cantilever-type prosthesis regarding the flexural strength of its in-balance portion as a function of its extension variation and reinforcement by two types of fibers (glass and polyaramid), considering that literature is not conclusive on this subject. Each specimen was composed by 3 total crowns at its mesial portion, each one attached to an implant component (abutment), while the distal portion (cantilever) had two crowns. Each specimen was constructed by injecting acrylic resin into a two-part silicone matrix placed on a metallic base. In each specimen, the crowns were fabricated with either acrylic resin (control group) or acrylic resin reinforced by glass (Fibrante, Angelus) or polyaramide (Kevlar 49, Du Pont) fibers. Compression load was applied on the cantilever, in a point located 7, 14 or 21 mm from the distal surface of the nearest crown with abutment, to simulate different extensions. The specimen was fixed on the metallic base and the force was applied until fracture in a universal test machine. Each one of the 9 sub-groups was composed by 10 specimens. Flexural strength means (in kgf) for the distances of 7, 14 and 21 mm were, respectively, 28.07, 8.27 and 6.39 for control group, 31.89, 9.18 and 5.16 for Kevlar 49 and 30.90, 9.31 and 6.86 for Fibrante. Data analysis ANOVA showed statistically significant difference (p<0.05) only regarding cantilever extension. Tukey's test detected significantly higher flexural strength for the 7 mm-distance, followed by 14 and 21 mm. Fracture was complete only on specimens of non-reinforced groups.

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This paper shows a study about the influence of type and number of sterilizations in the cutting ability of diamond points used in dentistry. As a result, the sterilization using the oven was the process, which didn't result in a decreasing in the cutting ability of the diamond points and, until the second sterilization, it resulted in a increasing of the cutting ability.

This work presents a proposal to assess the abrasive wear of composite resins available in the national market, which are materials largely used in dental clinics for functional and aesthetic tooth restorations. This was achieved by utilizing an experimental set-up on which a dynamic disc covered with proper porcelain (representing hardness close to the human teeth) wears a static disc covered with the resin tested under a constant and pre-determined load. Thus, by means of this set-up and keeping a behavioral status needed to the calculus for all tests, the aggressiveness (referred as to letter k) for all tests was analyzed. Due to the fact that resin characteristic revels how weary the material has become to the abrasion process with other harder material, the strength to wear for such resins was observed. Therefore, a real classification for these materials with their strength to the abrasion wear was made, which is a very important factor in the influence on their lifetime in dental restorations. The classification in descending order for those resins is presented as following: HELIOMOLAR RO, DURAFILL, FILTEK A110, HELIO FILL, POINT 4, FLOW IT; NATURAL FLOW, SUPRAFILL, FILTEK P60, FILTEK Z250, TETRIC FLOW, REVOLUTION, PRODIGY, TETRIC CERAM, HERCULITE, FILLMAGIC, TPH, CHARISMA, Z100