Fracture toughness of cross-linked and non-cross-linked temporary crown and fixed partial denture materials.

OBJECTIVES: Temporary crowns and fixed partial dentures are exposed to considerable functional loading, which places severe demands on the biomaterials used for their fabrication (= temporary crown & bridge materials, t-c&b). As the longevity of biopolymers is influenced by the ability to withstand a crack propagation, the aim of this study was to investigate the fracture toughness of cross-linked and non-cross-linked t-c&bs.
METHODS: Four different t-c&bs (Luxatemp AM Plus, Protemp 3 Garant, Structur Premium, Trim) were used to fabricate bar shaped specimens (2mmx5mmx25mm, ISO 13586). A notch (depth 2.47mm) was placed in the center of the specimen using a diamond cutting disc and a sharp pre-crack was added using a razor blade. 60 specimens per material were subjected to different storage conditions (dry and water 37 degrees C: 30min, 60min, 4h, 24h, 168h; thermocycling 5-55 degrees C: 168h) prior to fracture (3-point bending setup). The fracture sites were inspected using SEM analysis. Data was subjected to parametric statistics (p=0.05).
RESULTS: The K(IC) values varied between 0.4 and 1.3MPam(0.5) depending on the material and storage time. Highest K(IC) were observed for Protemp 3 Garant. Fracture toughness was significantly affected by thermocycling for all dimethacrylates (p<0.05) except for Structur Premium. All dimethacrylates showed a linear-elastic fracture mechanism, whereas the monomethacrylate showed an elasto-plastic fracture mechanism. SIGNIFICANCE: Dimethacrylates exhibit a low resistance against crack propagation immediately after curing. In contrast, monomethacrylates may compensate for crack propagation due to plastic deformation. However, K(IC) is compromised with increasing storage time.