Wear Resistance of CAD/CAM PEEK Versus Injection-Molded Acetal Resin Partial Denture Framework Materials: An In Vitro Comparative Study

Abstract

Aim: the purpose of this study was to assess the in vitro wear resistance of CAD/ CAM milled polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and injection-molded acetal resin as partial denture framework materials.. Subjects & methods: PEEK and acetal resins were used to make 10 disc-shaped samples for each group with dimensions of 15 mm in diameter and 2 mm in thickness. Acetal resin samples were made using the injection molding method. However, PEEK samples were produced using computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technologies. After 10,000 cycles, wear resistance was evaluated after using a four-chamber chewing simulator (Robota) by measurement of weight loss. Results: The data analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in the weight loss mean values between the CAD/CAM PEEK samples and the Acetal Resin samples, with the PEEK sample showing more wear resistance .Conclusion: PEEK resin material displayed greater wear resistance than acetal resin material which suggests the potential benefits of utilizing PEEK in the construction of partial denture frameworks, especially in cases where wear resistance is a critical factor to consider.