A recent study highlights the effectiveness of various surface treatments on the bond strength of CAD/CAM PMMA denture teeth when affixed to heat-polymerized acrylic denture bases, paving the way for more durable prosthetic solutions.
Complete dentures remain a primary treatment option for edentulous patients, particularly where dental implants are unfeasible due to various economic or medical reasons. Given the increasing prevalence of tooth loss, the longevity and effectiveness of dentures depend significantly on the bond strength between artificial teeth and their supporting bases.
These researchers aimed to tackle the problem of bond failures, previously reported between 22% and 33%, by systematically evaluating five different bonding surface treatments applied to CAD/CAM PMMA teeth. The study sample consisted of 100 teeth, divided equally among five distinct interventions: untreated PMMA teeth as control, MMA etching, sandblasting, and the creation of perpendicular grooves on tooth surfaces.
To explain the experimental method, each treatment was subjected to shear bond strength tests using universal testing machinery to analyze performance under simulated clinical conditions. The results were enlightening; MMA treatment led to substantial improvements, exhibiting the highest shear bond strength, significantly surpassing all other methods.
“MMA application improved the shear bond strength for CAD/CAM PMMA teeth,” the authors stated. This clearly suggests its pivotal role as the gold standard for enhancing dental bond performance.
While testing the other methods, it became evident sandblasting, characterized by the use of aluminum oxide particles, failed to improve bonding effectively. The study noted, “The sandblasting cannot be considered as a surface treatment,” highlighting its inadequacy compared to the successful MMA method.
On the other hand, the approach using perpendicular grooves showed moderate success but lacked statistical significance across the board. The authors acknowledged this, emphasizing, “The perpendicular groove seems to be not sufficiently effective.” Overall, the findings suggest strategic surface conditioning can vastly increase bond strength, which is pivotal for the longevity and functionality of removable dentures.
The researchers conducted thorough analyses post-shear tests, documenting the modes of failure ranging from adhesive to cohesive, regardless of the treatment. The control group, along with the sandblasted and unmodified PMMA groups, exhibited high rates of adhesive failure. This points to underlying issues with bonding mechanics, warranting strategic focus on these methods for clinical practice.
These revelations are likely to resonate across dental practices, emphasizing the necessity of effective surface treatments for maximizing bond strength, thereby improving patient outcomes. “The findings from this study provide dentists with evidence-based options to select the most efficient bonding agents and treatments for CAD/CAM frameworks,” concluded the authors, recognizing the broader impact of their work.