Changes in the Surface Texture of Thermoplastic (Monomer-Free) Dental Materials Due to Some Minor Alterations in the Laboratory Protocol—Preliminary Study

Abstract

Contemporary thermoplastic monomer-free prosthetic materials are widely used nowadays, and there are a great variety available on the market. These materials are of interest in terms of the improvement of the quality features of the removable dentures. The aim of this study is to establish how minimal changes in the laboratory protocol of polyamide prosthetic base materials influence the surface texture. Two polyamide materials intended for the fabrication of removable dentures bases were used—Perflex Biosens (BS) and VertexTM ThermoSens (TS). A total number of 20 coin-shaped samples were prepared. They were injected under two different modes—regular, as provided by the manufacturer, and modified, proposed by the authors of this study. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) under four magnifications—×1000, ×3000, ×5000, and ×10,000—was conducted. With minimal alterations to the melting temperature (5 °C) and the pressure (0.5 Bar), in Biosens, no changes in terms of surface improvement were found, whereas in ThermoSens, the surface roughness of the material significantly changed in terms of roughness reduction. By modifying the technological mode during injection molding, a smoother surface was achieved in one of the studied materials.

Different Polymers for the Base of Removable Dentures? Part II: A Narrative Review of the Dynamics of Microbial Plaque Formation on Dentures

“…In order to remedy this, minimal changes in the injection manufacturing protocol of two PA prosthetic base materials were tested in vitro (Perflex Biosens (BS), Netanya, Israel and VertexTM ThermoSens (TS), Soesterberg, The Netherlands. By slightly modifying the melting temperature (5 °C) and pressure (0.5 bar), no improvement in the surface finish was observed for Biosens, whereas for ThermoSens, the surface roughness was significantly reduced Chuchulska, 2022 [ 136 ].…”

Comparative Analysis of the Mechanical Properties and Biocompatibility between CAD/CAM and Conventional Polymers Applied in Prosthetic Dentistry

“…Thermoplastic materials utilized in dentistry encompass composite substances or copolymers with thermoplastic attributes. These materials offer benefits such as monomer-free composition, absence of toxic or allergenic additives, high biocompatibility, shape retention, plasticity, precision in fabrication, color diversity, and expanded applications in various prosthetic scenarios, including partial and total prosthetics, immediate and post-resection prosthetics, prosthetics postimplantation, and aesthetic enhancement of prostheses [30]. As of present, the following categories of thermoplastic materials have been identified and utilized in the fabrication of removable dental prostheses due to their elastic and flexible properties:…”

“…While Sharabasy et al determined bacterial adhesion to the surfaces of injection plastics to be unlikely [29], reports of subdenture stomatitis in patients utilizing polyamide prosthetic materials indicate engagement on both prosthetic surfaces and mucous membranes [45]. Polyamide injection materials exhibited maximum bacterial adhesion and colony formation, surpassing even conventional PMMAs [30]. Despite their susceptibility to surface defects and high roughness levels, these materials are challenging to polish, fostering pathogen colonization [34].…”

“…Several authors found that heat-polymerized PMMA exhibited superiority over milled PMMA [11,26]. However, it was concluded by others that milled PMMA demonstrated better mechanical properties compared to heat-polymerized PMMA [30,117]. Perea-Lowery et al [110] demonstrated significant variation in mechanical properties among the tested materials, with heat-polymerized PMMA showing the highest FS value, although the performance of all resins was deemed satisfactory [124,125].…”

Composite and Polymeric Materials for Dentistry: Enhancing Antimicrobial and Mechanical Properties

“…On the other hand, favorable changes were also recorded; hardness and flexural modulus increased whereas volume loss during the wear test decreased with the introduction of ceramic particles [ 16 ]. Chuchulska et al [ 17 ], in the technological study, tested how the small changes in the laboratory protocol of polyamide prosthetic base materials may influence the surface texture. Investigations have shown that modifying the process by altering the melting temperature by 5 °C and the pressure by 0.5 Bar during injection molding can reduce roughness for some materials.…”