J.

Adv Dental Research ORIGINAL RESEARCH

All Right Res

Flexural strength of denture base resin

reinforced with aluminum oxide and
processed by different processing techniques
Naveen S Yadav * Hend Elkawash **

*M.D.S, Associate Professor, **M.D.S, Junior Lecturer,Department of Fixed Prosthodontics,

Faculty of Dentistry,Garyunis University,Benghazi, Libya.
Email:naveensyadav@gmail.com

Abstract:
Statement of problem: Flexural strength of denture Introduction:
base resin is considered primary mode of clinical Poly (methyl methacrylate) is the commonly used
failure. resin for processing of dentures.1 Since its introduction,
Objective: This study was done to compare the flexural there has been a continuous search to modify the
strength of acrylic resin with or without addition of processing techniques and working properties to improve
Al2O3 and processed with two techniques. the physical and mechanical properties of acrylic resin.
Material and method: 10 samples each were processed Flexural strength of denture base resin is
using normal acrylic resin with conventional water bath considered primary mode of clinical failure.2,3 Various
technique, modified acrylic resin with 5% Al2O3 methods to strengthen acrylic resin have been suggested.
processed by conventional water bath technique, These include chemical modification to prepare high
normal acrylic resin with microwave technique, impact resin,4 mechanical reinforcement glass fibers,5-8,14
modified acrylic resin with 5% Al2O3 processed with sapphire whiskers,9,10 aramid fibres,6,9 carbon fibres,11-13
microwave technique. Data was analyzed using metal wires,14-16 nylon,6,17 polyethylene fibres4,18,19 and
ANOVA. zirconia.20
Result: Mean flexural strength(SD)were: Normal The processing is usually done by conventional water bath
acrylic resin processed with conventional water bath technique.21, 22 Microwave energy is also used to process
technique-96.18(2.42), Modified acrylic resin with 5% the resin.23-26 The controlled microwave energy enables a
Al2O3 processed by conventional water bath technique- higher degree of conversion of monomers into polymer
87.59(1.33), Normal acrylic resin processed with chains in the polymerization process, thereby enhancing the
microwave technique-94.70(2.71), Modified acrylic resin physical and biocompatibility characteristics of acrylic
with 5% Al2O3 processed with microwave technique- resin.
83.95(1.24). This study was undertaken to compare the strength
Conclusion: The specimens of heat-curing acrylic resin of acrylic resin reinforced with aluminum oxide and when
reinforced with 5% Al2O3 filler provided no superior processed by conventional water bath technique and
flexural than those with normal acrylic resin. The microwave energy.
specimens of heat curing acrylic resin reinforced with
Al2O3 filler showed no increase in flexural strength Materials and Method:
when processed by microwave technique.
A rectangular metal die specimen measuring 65
Key words:Flexural strength, Aluminium oxide, mm in length, 10 mm in height, and 2.5 mm in thickness
denture base resin. were prepared for each acrylic resin according to ADA
specification. The impression of the metal die was made
using polyvinyl siloxane material. 40 wax samples were
Serial Listing: Print ISSN(2229-4112) prepared. 20 wax samples were invested in metal flasks for
Online-ISSN (2229-4120) water bath technique and 20 were invested in plastic flasks
for microwave curing. The list of samples and curing
method is given in table I.
Bibliographic Listing: Indian National Medical For Conventional water bath technique the wax
Library, Index Copernicus, EBSCO Publishing samples were invested in metal flasks by type III dental
Database,Proquest., Open J-Gate. stone. After the final set of the dental stone, the flask was
kept for dewaxing for 5 mins in boiling water. Then the
flasks were opened and cleaned to remove any trace of wax
and to facilitate the application of separating medium. The
mold cavities obtained were used for the preparation of

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acrylic resin test specimens. The control group test that there is a significant difference between the groups
specimens were made with conventional heat-polymerized
polymerized with respect to the mean flexural strength (P<0.001). (Table
acrylic resin. The acrylic resin used in this study wa was III).
Meliodent. A mixture of monomer and polymer mixed In order to find out among which pair of groups
according to the manufacturer’s instruction was allowed to there exist a significant difference, multiple comparisons
reach dough stage, then kneaded and placed in the mold. are carried out using Bonferroni test. It was observed that
Trial closure was performed with a hydraulic press. The there is a significant difference between Group A and
flask was immersed in water in an acrylizer at room Group B (P<0.001) as well as betweenn Group A and Group
temperature and kept for processing. After completion of D (P<0.001) with respect to the mean flexural strength. As
the polymerization cycle, the flask was allowed to cool in well as the difference in mean flexural strength between
the water bath to room temperature before deflasking. The Group B and Group C, between Group B and Group D,
acrylic specimens then were retrieved, finished, and between Group C and Group D are found to be statistically
polished.For
or Microwave processing, the wax samples were significant (P<0.001). There was no significant difference
invested in plastic microwavable flasks. The flasks were between Group A and Group C (P>0.05).
kept in microwave oven for 30 seconds for dewaxing. After
the dewaxing the flasks was removed and cleaned for Discussion:
remaining wax residue. The flasks were kept for 3 mins at
500W. The commonly used resin for denture base is PMMA. It has
The specimens were kept for bench cooling advantage of low cost, ease of processing, easy repair and
overnight before deflasking.The specimen was mounted on light weight. This material has also disadvantages of low
the designed part of a Universal Testing Machine (three-
(three strength, brittle and also exhibits large shrinkage during
point loading and testing equipment)(Fig1).The load was polymerization which leads to inaccuracy in the dimensions
applied on the center off the specimen with a cross
cross-head of hardened material. Several materials and methods have
speed of 0.5 mm/min. The maximum load before fracture been used to improve the strength of the acrylic resin.
was measured. The flexural strength of the specimens was Many studies have been done such as modifying the
calculated using the standard relation: denture base itself to produce a co-polymerized
polymerized high impact
strength resin or reinforcing it with materials. Recent
advances in the processing of dentures had reinforced
acrylic resin with Al2O3 ceramic filler.28 The advantages of
the filler is the lower density, thus the light weight of
acrylic resin is retained. As the Al2O3 ceramics particles
are white, therefore are less likely to alter the finished
appearance of the denture base material.
In this study, the
he acrylic resin (Unmodified and
modified with 5% Al2O3) was processed using conventional
water bath technique and microwave energy. Total of four
groups were made (Table I). The flexural strength between
the groups was measured and compared. The results
showed
howed that flexural strength had decreased with addition
of Al2O3. Group A had mean of 96.18, group B had mean
of 87.59 group C had a mean of 94.70 and group D had a
mean of 83.95. There was a statistical difference when
Figure 1: Universal Testing Machine samples of normal acrylic resin wer were compared with
modified acrylic resin. When the processing technique was
S=3LP/2WT2
compared, there was no significant difference found
Where: S = Flexural strength. between groups processed with conventional water bath
P = Maximum load before fracture.
technique and microwave energy.
L = Distance between supports (50 mm).
This decrease of flexural strength of modi
modified
W = Width of the specimen (10 mm).
acrylic resin may be due to irregular distribution of Al2O3
T = Depth (thickness) of the specimen filler particles into the acrylic resin which causes stress
(2.5 mm). concentration due to filler agglomeration. The second
Results: reason may be untreated filler particles, which decreases
the bonding filler particles and the acrylic resin. This
In this study the comparison of flexural strength
suggests that to get a better bonding between the filler
was done between unmodified acrylic resin sample and
particles and acrylic resin the Al2O3 should be treated with
modified acrylic resin with 5% aluminum oxide. Table II silane coupling agent.
shows the mean and standard deviation values of flexural
strength for each of the experimented groups.
roups. Higher mean
flexural strength is observed in Group A followed by
Group C and Group B respectively. Lowest mean flexural
strength is recorded in Group D. The ANOVA result shows

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January 2011 www.ispcd.org
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Table I: Table shows the materials and method.

S.No Group Material Method No. of Samples

1. A Normal Acrylic resin Conventional water 10
bath technique
2. B Acrylic resin reinforced with 5% Conventional water 10
aluminum oxide bath technique
3. C Normal Acrylic resin Microwave 10
technique
4. D Acrylic resin reinforced with 5% Microwave 10
aluminum oxide technique

Table II: Table shows the Mean and Standard Deviation of each group.

S.No Group Mean SD

1. A 96.18 2.42
2. B 87.59 1.33
3. C 94.70 2.71
4. D 83.95 1.24

Table III: ANOVA test.

Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups 1012.289 3 337.430 81.368 .000
Within Groups 149.290 36 4.147
Total 1161.579 39

Conclusion:

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Conflict of Interest: Not Declared
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Received: October 2010
bending properties of two denture resin. J Prosthet
Accepted: December 2010
Dent 1984; 51:119-21.

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