Tw Chow

Mechanical effectiveness of root canal irrigation

An in vitro study of the mechanical effectiveness of conventional root canal irrigation using hypodermic needle and syringe was carried out using an artificial system of standardized root canals and particles. The influence of needle size, the depth of insertion of the needle, and the pressure of irrigation on the effectiveness of irrigating the apical portion of root canals were investigated.

Acrylic resin reinforced with chopped high performance polyethylene fiber-properties and denture construction

A newly developed incremental mixing technique has been used to incorporate over 30 vol % chopped high performance polyethylene fiber into acrylic denture base resin. The reinforcement produced a substantial improvement in several clinically important properties, namely: 1) stiffness and impact strength were higher; 2) the mechanical properties were insensitive to notches that mimic anatomical features; and 3) samples damaged during bending and impact did not break up into separate fragments. Reinforced complete maxillary and mandibular dentures of good esthetic appearance were successfully manufactured and polished with conventional laboratory techniques.

Ceramic dental biomaterials and CAD/CAM technology: State of the art

PURPOSE Ceramics are widely used as indirect restorative materials in dentistry because of their high biocompatibility and pleasing aesthetics. The objective is to review the state of the arts of CAD/CAM all-ceramic biomaterials. STUDY SELECTION CAD/CAM all-ceramic biomaterials are highlighted and a subsequent literature search was conducted for the relevant subjects using PubMed followed by manual search. RESULTS Developments in CAD/CAM technology have catalyzed researches in all-ceramic biomaterials and their applications. Feldspathic glass ceramic and glass infiltrated ceramic can be fabricated by traditional laboratory methods or CAD/CAM. The advent of polycrystalline ceramics is a direct result of CAD/CAM technology without which the fabrication would not have been possible. CONCLUSIONS The clinical uses of these ceramics have met with variable clinical success. Multiple options are now available to the clinicians for the fabrication of aesthetic all ceramic restorations.

Reinforcement of complete denture bases with continuous high performance polyethylene fibers

Clinical literature details the causes for deformation and failure of acrylic resin complete denture bases. These findings are used to select patterns of high performance polyethylene fiber reinforcement that would best use the properties of the material and improve the mechanical behavior of the prostheses. A technique is described for making reinforced maxillary and mandibular bases with the fibers placed as suggested by the analysis. Microscopic observations of cross sections of reinforced bases revealed good fiber/resin integration and polish.

Effect of processing method on the dimensional accuracy and water sorption of acrylic resin dentures.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Acrylic resin complete dentures exhibit certain unavoidable dimensional changes. Processing shrinkage and expansion due to water uptake are 2 important aspects influencing dimensional accuracy. PURPOSE This study investigated linear dimensional changes and water sorption of dentures processed by dry and wet heat with different rates of cooling. METHODS Fine crosses marked on tinfoil inserts were placed at the incisive papilla and tuberosity regions of edentulous maxillary casts and incorporated into the dentures during polymerization by 3 processing techniques. A traveling microscope was used to measure the distances between the reference points to determine dimensional changes. Water uptake and content were determined by the mass changes of the dentures with an electronic balance. Data of linear dimensional change and water sorption were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance and analysis of variance, respectively. Bonferroni simultaneous confidence intervals (95%) were applied for multiple comparison. RESULTS Dry heat-processed and water bath-processed acrylic resin dentures did not exhibit significant differences in shrinkage (0.42% to 0.58%) at water saturation. Amounts of water sorption of dentures processed by dry and wet heat (0.50 and 0.48 mass%, respectively) were not significantly different, and their associated expansion did not entirely compensate for the processing shrinkage. The initial water content of dry heat-processed dentures (1.77 mass%) was unexpectedly slightly higher than that of wet heat-processed dentures (1.68 mass%). The rate at which the dentures cooled did not affect their initial water content and subsequent water uptake. CONCLUSIONS Water uptake of dry and wet heat-processed acrylic resin dentures after deflasking was in both cases low, and the dentures did not reveal significant differences in shrinkage at water saturation. Air oven-processed and water bath-processed acrylic resin dentures show similar dimensional shrinkage at water saturation.

Contrast ratios and masking ability of three types of ceramic veneers

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Although ceramic veneers have been proven to be clinically successful in longevity studies, there is little information on the contrast ratios and masking ability of the available ceramic systems because dental laboratory technology and expensive experimental equipment are required for the investigation. Moreover, the complexity in understanding how to evaluate translucent ceramic materials may also explain why information in this area is limited. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the contrast ratios and masking abilities of 3 types of all-ceramic veneers by measuring their luminance and color difference over white and black backgrounds. MATERIAL AND METHODS Disk-shaped specimens (8-mm diameter x 0.7-mm thickness) of Shade A2 (Vita Lumin) of 3 types of all-ceramic systems: Procera (n=8), Empress 2 (n=8), and Vitadur Alpha (n=10) were fabricated. The luminance (as Y) and color (as CIE L*a*b*) of the specimens were measured with a colorimeter. The contrast ratio (CR=Yb/Yw), defined as the ratio of illuminance (Y) of the test material when it is placed on the black background (Yb) to the illuminance of the same material when it is placed over a white background (Yw), was determined. The masking ability of a specimen was evaluated by calculating the color difference (DeltaE) of the veneers over white and black backgrounds. Both CR and DeltaE* data were analyzed with 1-way ANOVA and the Tukey HSD test (alpha=.05). RESULTS The mean contrast ratios (SD) of Procera, Empress 2, and Vitadur Alpha specimens were 0.50 (0.02), 0.46 (0.05), and 0.39 (0.02), respectively. CR values were significantly different among the 3 materials (P<.001). Procera veneers had a significantly higher CR compared to Empress 2 (P=.01) or Vitadur Alpha (P=.01), whereas the CR of Empress 2 was significantly higher than that of Vitadur Alpha (P=.046). Color difference (DeltaE*) (SD) of Procera, Empress 2, and Vitadur Alpha specimens over black and white backgrounds were 24.46 (1.03), 25.80 (1.03), and 31.08 (1.19), respectively. DeltaE* values were statistically different among the 3 materials (P<.001). Vitadur Alpha specimens had significantly higher DeltaE* when compared with Procera (P<.001) or Empress 2 (P<.001), whereas DeltaE* values between Procera and Empress 2 were not significantly different (P=.331). CONCLUSIONS Vitadur Alpha had significantly lower contrast ratio and poorer masking ability compared to Procera or Empress 2. The clinical application of Vitadur Alpha as a veneer material over discolored teeth is cautioned. Although the contrast ratio of Procera was significantly higher than that of Empress 2, the masking abilities of these materials were not significantly different. The clinical application of these 2 ceramics as a veneer material may still be limited when applied over intense tooth discoloration because neither can fully mask the color of a black background.

Temperature and dimensional changes in the two-stage processing technique for complete dentures*

OBJECTIVES This study concerned the temperature and linear dimensional change of heat-cured acrylic resin in the two-stage processing technique for complete dentures. METHODS Thermocouples were incorporated in the acrylic resin for recording temperatures. Measurements between reference marks were made by a high-resolution digital measuring microscope. RESULTS No increase in temperature associated with the exothermic nature of the polymerization reaction was recorded. The temperature of the resin followed the waterbath temperature closely. The temperatures recorded at various regions were in phase with each other. The total linear shrinkage of the base after two processing cycles was less than 1% and compares favourably with studies on the single-stage processing technique. CONCLUSIONS Temperature differential is excluded as a reason for the warpage of dentures. The dimensional changes of the denture base resulting from the two-stage processing technique cannot be considered to be of any clinical significance.

Strain analysis of maxillary complete denture with three-dimensional finite element method

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM The fracture of maxillary complete dentures has been reported as the most common prosthesis failure. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate strain distribution in dentures during application of occlusal load with 3-dimensional (3-D) finite element analysis (FEA). MATERIAL AND METHODS A maxillary complete denture was converted into a 3-D numerical model by an advanced topometric sensor digitizer (ATOS). The denture surfaces were scanned with fringes. Ten measurements were made for each scan of the denture in top, left, right, back, and front orientations by tilting the scanning table. The individual scans were merged by the digitizing software into a single image. A haptic device with a freeform system (PHANTOM) was used to create the mucosa in contact with the intaglio surface of the denture model. Supporting bone was then constructed from the mucosa model. The posterior teeth were loaded with an occlusal force of 230 N, and the basal bone was constrained for performing FEA. RESULTS The highest tensile and compressive strains were found at the incisal and labial frenal notches, respectively. Strains on the intaglio surface of the denture were primarily compressive. The buccal flange exhibited tensile strains in the horizontal direction but compressive strains in the vertical direction. The labial flange showed compressive strains in both directions. The posterior border of the denture flexed away from the mucosa during occlusal loading. CONCLUSIONS Three-dimensional FEA provided different views of strain distribution in the denture and indicated that denture failure was unlikely to occur at the shallow labial frenal notch because the strain is compressive. The high tensile strain concentration at the incisal notch is likely to be the cause of denture fracture during clinical service.

Magnet-retained auricular prosthesis with an implant-supported composite bar: a clinical report

The use of craniofacial implants to assist in retaining auricular prostheses often requires complex laboratory procedures, involving production of an accurate casting, fitting of a precious alloy bar, and the use of clips. A simplified method for the retention of an auricular prosthesis with a composite bar and magnets is described in this article.

Polyethylene fibre reinforced poly(methylmethacrylate)—water sorption and dimensional changes during immersion

The reinforcement of acrylic denture base resin with high performance polyethylene fibre in chopped, woven and continuous parallel forms resulted in significant reductions in water sorption and dimensional changes during immersion. The dimensional changes during immersion mainly occur during the non-steady state of the diffusion process.