A Comparative Evaluation of Surface Characteristics and Microbial Adhesion of Conventional Heat-cured Polymethyl Methacrylate, Computer-aided Design and Manufacturing and Three-dimensional-printed Denture Base Materials: An In vitro Analysis
Jayesh Rohida, Smita Musani, Aamir Godil, Vaibhavi Bampalwar, Fatema HajiAbstract
Background:
The surface topography of denture base materials is critical due to its influence on microbial adhesion and biofilm formation. Even at submicron levels, scratches and irregular surface features greatly influence microbial colonisation, which alters the oral environment. In this study, an attempt has been made to bridge this gap by doing a comparative biological analysis of surface roughness and microbial adhesion on three widely applied denture base materials: conventional heat-cured polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD-CAM) milled PMMA and three-dimensional (3D)-printed PMMA.
Objective:
A total of 60 standardised disc-shaped specimens (20 mm diameter × 3 mm thickness) were fabricated, with 20 specimens per material group: PMMA, CAD-CAM milled PMMA and 3D-printed PMMA, following uniform protocols to ensure internal validity. All specimens were polished by a single operator in a clinical setting to ensure consistent pressure during the polishing procedure. To quantify surface roughness (Ra), a contact profilometer was used. Microbial adhesion of
Materials and Methods:
A total of 60 standardised disc-shaped specimens (20 mm diameter × 3 mm thickness) were fabricated. They were then further separated into conventional heat-cured PMMA, CAD-CAM milled PMMA and 3D-printed PMMA subgroups (
Results:
All specimens showed a reduction in surface roughness after polishing. The highest Ra and bacterial adhesion were shown by zirconia, whereas the lowest was shown by polymer-infiltrated ceramic network (PICN). Among the three groups, CAD-CAM PMMA exhibited the lowest mean surface roughness values. Microbial adhesion of
Conclusion:
The surface roughness (before and after polishing) and microbial adhesion for conventional heat-cured PMMA were found to be as compared to CAD-CAM PMMA and 3D-printed PMMA.