The effect of Thermocycling on the Flexural and Impact strength of 3D printed dental resins by two different Technologies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15218/edj.2026.15Keywords:
mechanical properties, Denture base resin, 3D printing, ThermocyclingAbstract
Background and Objective: This research examines the effects of Thermocycling and various printing processes, including Digital Light Processing (DLP) and Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing, on the mechanical characteristics of denture base resin.
Materials and Methods: Eighty denture base samples were prepared and equally distributed for two mechanical tests, 40 for the Flexural strength test and 40 for the Impact strength test. These were subsequently subdivided into two subsets based on the photopolymerization technology: DLP and SLA. Half of the samples in each group underwent 3,000 Thermocycles from 5 to 55°C. A universal testing machine and a Charpy's impact tester were used, respectively.
Results: The values of Flexural strength were 34.384, 31.591, 29.446, and 28.621 MPa; Impact strength 0.841, 0.552, 0.742, and 1.103 KJ/m² for DLP Before, DLP After, SLA Before, and SLA After Thermocycle, respectively. Before and after Thermocycling, DLP had greater Flexural strength than SLA. DLP had higher Impact strength before Thermocycling, but SLA had it after.
Conclusion: DLP demonstrated superior Flexural strength compared to SLA both before and after Thermocycling. Thermocycling had a material-dependent effect on Flexural strength, causing a statistically significant reduction in the DLP group (p < 0.001), while the reduction observed in the SLA group was not statistically significant. Regarding Impact strength, Thermocycling significantly decreased the values in the DLP, whereas it significantly increased the values in the SLA. These findings indicate that the effect of Thermocycling on mechanical properties varies depending on the printing technology and material characteristics.
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