Al2O3 Preforms Infiltrated with Poly(methyl methacrylate) for Dental Prosthesis Manufacturing

Abstract

The combination of biocompatible polymers and ceramics shows great promise in the development of composites with suitable mechanical properties for dental applications. In an attempt to further expand this research line, Al2O3 commercial powders (Vitro-ceram, Alglass, In-ceram) were sintered at 1400 °C for 2 h and infiltrated with poly(methyl methacrylate) for potential use in dental prostheses. The infiltration was performed using a homemade apparatus under a pressure of 7 bar for 6 and 12 h. The microstructure (studied using a scanning electron microscope), Archimedes density, 3-point bending flexural strength and Vickers hardness of the prepared composites were assessed and quantitatively compared. In general, microstructural analyses showed ceramic- and polymer-based interpenetrating network in all materials. The preforms infiltrated for 12 h showed superior properties; among them, the Vitro-ceram-based composite also demonstrated a near-zero open porosity and optimum mechanical characteristics. Specifically, its density, strength and hardness were 2.6 ± 0.07 g/cm3, 119.3 ± 5.0 MPa and 1055.1 ± 111.0 HV, respectively, passing the acceptance criteria of ISO 6872 and making it suitable for consideration as a metal-free structure for dental crowns and fixed partial prostheses until three anterior units.

Physicochemical Properties of Dentine Subjected to Microabrasive Blasting and Its Influence on Bonding to Self-Adhesive Prosthetic Cement in Shear Bond Strength Test: An In Vitro Study

“…It has been proven, inter alia, that the weight content oscillating up to about 20% improves these properties in the case of Al 2 O 3 /epoxy resin or as a biocidal modification of the surface of endosseous implants. Such surface modification reduced adhesion of bacteria to Al 2 O 3blasted surface [96][97][98]. Considering the above, the incorporation of alumina particles into the content of already set prosthetic cement does not appear to be a drawback, nevertheless, whether it creates mechanical or biological alterations in the material itself is beyond the scope of this study and requires additional investigation.…”

Non-Oxide Ceramics for Bone Implant Application: State-of-the-Art Overview with an Emphasis on the Acetabular Cup of Hip Joint Prosthesis

“…Cytokine release levels have been seen to be in line with medical PMMA (Figure 17). A similar approach (polymer infiltration) was also recently proposed to modulate the properties of alumina preforms for dental applications with promising results [88].…”