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.

Scanning polarization force microscopy, a relatively new non-contact scanning probe microscopy technique, was applied in order to investigate the properties of liquid surfaces (droplets), such as: topography, microscopic contact angle θ, surface potential energy P(e), spreading coefficient S, and disjoining pressure П. Investigations were carried out on glycerol droplets deposited on surfaces of bare silicon, silicon covered with native oxide, and bulk silicon oxide. Contact angle values were determined from directly measured topography profiles of micro-and nanodroplets. Values of surface potential energy, spreading coefficient, and disjoining pressure were calculated based on a model of the dependence of contact angle on droplet height. The results of these experiments offer valuable insights into the mechanisms of wetting phenomena at the microscopic scale.

We report the KrF excimer laser ablation of carbonaceous targets in an innovative laser ablation chamber. The targets have been prepared using a new approach, without pressing or hot pressing of the com position. The Co/Ni doped target has yielded single wall carbon nanotubes with a narrow diameter distribu tion. High resolution transmission electron microscopy has been used along with the confocal Raman microscopy to characterize the products obtained. Thermogravimetric analysis confirms the presence of multiple carbonaceous species with different oxidation temperatures.

Carbon nanomaterials have been obtained using an innovative laser ablation chamber design. The chamber has several improvements of the design including a longer oven and a longer cold finger as compared to other designs. The laser employed in these experiments has been a KrF excimer laser. The chamber has been successfully used for obtaining nano-onions and single walled carbon nanotubes by laser ablation. A novel target preparation method has been developed and employed to incorporate metal catalysts without the need of pressing or hot pressing of the targets. The ablation products, obtained using this new chamber design, have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy, as well as thermogravimetric analysis measurements.

The aim of the present paper was to characterize the new pink PMMA doped with 0.4% TiO2 nanoparticles utilized for denture base manufacturing as alternative to the one-piece, single color material for removable denture. The PMMA base material was structurally characterized through XRD, SEM, EDX, and subsequently by FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. An improvement in the thermal stability of the obtained material compared with the PMMA matrix without filler was evidenced. All performed structural analyzes are recommending the new pink PMMA with 0.4% nano-titania as an as an alternative to the one-piece, single color material for removable dentures processing.