Flexural strength of CAD-CAM and conventional interim resin materials with a surface sealant.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The flexural strength of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) and conventional interim resin materials when they are used with a surface sealant is unclear. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the flexural strength of different CAD-CAM polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)-based polymers and conventional interim resin materials, autopolymerized bisacrylate composite resin and polyethyl methacrylate (PEMA) with and without a surface sealant after thermocycling. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fourteen rectangular-shaped specimens (25×2×2 mm) were fabricated from 5 different interim resin materials, 3 different CAD-CAM PMMA-based polymers: Polident-PMMA, Telio CAD, M-PM-Disc; 2 different conventional interim resin materials, and 1 autopolymerized bisacrylate composite resin: Acyrtemp and 1 PEMA resin: Bosworth Trim according to ISO 10477:2018. Two different types of surface treatments (n=7), conventional polishing and surface sealant application, were applied to 1 surface of the specimens. Ten thousand thermocycles were applied in distilled water for all specimens (5 °C and 55 °C). A 3-point bend test was used to measure the flexural strength of specimens in a universal testing device at a 1 mm/min crosshead speed. The flexural strength data (σ) were calculated in megapascals (MPa) and analyzed by using a 2-way ANOVA. Post hoc pairwise comparisons and independent t test analysis were done (α=.05). RESULTS: According to the 2-way ANOVA, material type (P<.001) significantly affected the flexural strength. Surface treatment type (P=.818) had no significant effect on flexural strength, and no significant interaction was found between material type and surface treatment type (P=.111). CAD-CAM PMMA-based polymers had significantly higher flexural strength than the conventional interim resin materials. However, no significant difference was found within groups of the same type. Also, no significant difference was found in flexural strength values between the conventional polishing and surface sealant groups within each interim resin material (P≥.162). CONCLUSIONS: The flexural strength of CAD-CAM PMMA-based polymers was higher than the flexural strength of conventional bisacrylate composite resin and PEMA interim resin materials after thermocycling. The surface treatment type (conventional polishing and surface sealant application) was not found to affect the flexural strength of CAD-CAM PMMA-based polymers, conventional bisacrylate composite resin, or PEMA interim resin materials.