Effect of the Cleaning Tablet Solution on the Bond Strength of 3D Occlusal Device Resin and Different Repair Materials

Abstract

Background: Three-dimensional (3D) printed occlusal splints are increasingly used in dental practice, but their repairability remains a concern. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cleaning tablets on the shear bond strength of 3D-printed occlusal devices repaired with either polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or 3D printer resin.

Methods: A total of 60 specimens (10×10×2 mm) were manufactured using 3D-printer occlusal device resin with a digital light processing 3D printer. Surfaces were polished with abrasive papers with grits #1000 and #1200 for 1 minute for each grit, and then PMMA and 3D printer resin were applied using a standardized apparatus with the cylindrical cavity 3 mm in diameter in the center, without any surface pretreatment. All specimens were kept in artificial saliva at 37°C for 7 days in an incubator. Then, half of the specimens for each repair material (n = 15) were immersed in a cleaning tablet solution for 90 minutes to simulate 1 month of clinical use (PMMA-T and 3D-T groups). Meanwhile, the other specimens were preserved in distilled water (PMMA-DW and 3D-DW groups). The shear bond test was conducted using universal testing equipment with a crosshead speed of 5 mm/min. The data were statistically analyzed using 2-way analysis of variance (α = .05).

Results: The highest bond strength value was observed in the 3D-DW group (6.03 ± 2.28 MPa), whereas the lowest was observed in the PMMA-T group (3.70 ± 1.95 MPa). No statistically significant differences were found between the groups. No significant interaction was found between the cleaning tablet exposure and repair material type (F = 0.164, P = .688).

Conclusion: Although the differences were not statistically significant, 3D printer resin repair material showed higher bond strength, probably due to similar chemical composition, and cleaning tablets reduced the bond strength of both repair materials.