Relation of Crown Failure Load to Flexural Strength for Three Contemporary Dental Polymers

Polymeric materials show great promise for use in a variety of dental applications. Manufacturers generally provide flexural strength information based on standardized (ISO and ASTM) specimen dimensions and loading conditions. It is not clear, however, if flexural strength data are predictive of the...

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Main Author: Tariq F. Alghazzawi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-11-01
Series:Polymers
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/21/4312
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author Tariq F. Alghazzawi
author_facet Tariq F. Alghazzawi
author_sort Tariq F. Alghazzawi
collection DOAJ
description Polymeric materials show great promise for use in a variety of dental applications. Manufacturers generally provide flexural strength information based on standardized (ISO and ASTM) specimen dimensions and loading conditions. It is not clear, however, if flexural strength data are predictive of the clinical performance of dental crowns. The objectives of this study were, therefore, to determine whether flexural strengths, as measured via three-point bending (3PB), would be predictive of failure loads assessed via crunch-the-crown (CTC) tests. Three brands of polymers (Trilor, Juvora, and Pekkton) were fabricated into rectangular bars and fully contoured crowns (10 specimens of each polymer brand, 30 specimens of each shape). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and burn off tests were used to characterize/confirm the materials. Bars were tested blindly in 3PB to determine flexural strength, and crowns were CTC-tested to determine failure load after luting to resin abutments. The statistical significance of the test results was evaluated via one-way ANOVA (α = 0.05) and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, while regression analysis was used to test for a correlation between 3PB and CTC results. The fracture mechanisms and failure surface characteristics were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). There were significant differences (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in the mean crown failure loads (Trilor (7033 N) > Juvora (5217 N) > Pekkton (3023 N)) and mean flexural strengths of the bars (Trilor (468 MPa) > Juvora (197 MPa) = Pekkton (192 MPa)). The mode of crown fracture was different between the materials and included deformation (Juvora), ductile-to-brittle fracture (Pekkton), and a combination of cracks and deformation (Trilor). Flexural strengths did not correlate with the corresponding crown failure loads for any of the materials tested. These results suggest that dental practitioners should not rely on the flexural strengths reported from three-point bending tests, as advertised by the manufacturer, to predict the performance of polymeric crowns.
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spelling doaj.art-0be13b62ce574d948e1302a388b642cb2023-11-10T15:10:53ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602023-11-011521431210.3390/polym15214312Relation of Crown Failure Load to Flexural Strength for Three Contemporary Dental PolymersTariq F. Alghazzawi0Department of Substitutive Dental Sciences, Taibah University, Madinah 42353, Saudi ArabiaPolymeric materials show great promise for use in a variety of dental applications. Manufacturers generally provide flexural strength information based on standardized (ISO and ASTM) specimen dimensions and loading conditions. It is not clear, however, if flexural strength data are predictive of the clinical performance of dental crowns. The objectives of this study were, therefore, to determine whether flexural strengths, as measured via three-point bending (3PB), would be predictive of failure loads assessed via crunch-the-crown (CTC) tests. Three brands of polymers (Trilor, Juvora, and Pekkton) were fabricated into rectangular bars and fully contoured crowns (10 specimens of each polymer brand, 30 specimens of each shape). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and burn off tests were used to characterize/confirm the materials. Bars were tested blindly in 3PB to determine flexural strength, and crowns were CTC-tested to determine failure load after luting to resin abutments. The statistical significance of the test results was evaluated via one-way ANOVA (α = 0.05) and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, while regression analysis was used to test for a correlation between 3PB and CTC results. The fracture mechanisms and failure surface characteristics were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). There were significant differences (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in the mean crown failure loads (Trilor (7033 N) > Juvora (5217 N) > Pekkton (3023 N)) and mean flexural strengths of the bars (Trilor (468 MPa) > Juvora (197 MPa) = Pekkton (192 MPa)). The mode of crown fracture was different between the materials and included deformation (Juvora), ductile-to-brittle fracture (Pekkton), and a combination of cracks and deformation (Trilor). Flexural strengths did not correlate with the corresponding crown failure loads for any of the materials tested. These results suggest that dental practitioners should not rely on the flexural strengths reported from three-point bending tests, as advertised by the manufacturer, to predict the performance of polymeric crowns.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/21/4312polymerflexural strengthcomposite resinfibercrownbar
spellingShingle Tariq F. Alghazzawi
Relation of Crown Failure Load to Flexural Strength for Three Contemporary Dental Polymers
Polymers
polymer
flexural strength
composite resin
fiber
crown
bar
title Relation of Crown Failure Load to Flexural Strength for Three Contemporary Dental Polymers
title_full Relation of Crown Failure Load to Flexural Strength for Three Contemporary Dental Polymers
title_fullStr Relation of Crown Failure Load to Flexural Strength for Three Contemporary Dental Polymers
title_full_unstemmed Relation of Crown Failure Load to Flexural Strength for Three Contemporary Dental Polymers
title_short Relation of Crown Failure Load to Flexural Strength for Three Contemporary Dental Polymers
title_sort relation of crown failure load to flexural strength for three contemporary dental polymers
topic polymer
flexural strength
composite resin
fiber
crown
bar
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/21/4312
work_keys_str_mv AT tariqfalghazzawi relationofcrownfailureloadtoflexuralstrengthforthreecontemporarydentalpolymers