
10
Braz Dent Sci 2025 Jan/Mar;28 (1): e4581
Batista LMB et al.
Effect of angulation of 3D printed resin provisional bridges: an in vitro study on hardness and fracture loading
Batista LMB et al. Effect of angulation of 3D printed resin provisional bridges: an
in vitro study on hardness and fracture loading
Even if the specimen is printed in layers with a
90° orientation, the hardness test is conducted
with the specimen in a horizontal position. This
means that there is difculty in indenting directly
between printing layers in the 45° and 90° groups,
thus promoting rupture between them. Therefore,
the 0° group obtained a lower hardness value as
the test was conducted on the specimen’s surface
without directly reaching the printing layers.
A similar scenario was observed in Reymus et al.
[11], where specimens in the distal position
showed a higher fracture load compared to the
occlusal position, due to greater resistance to layer
separation in the direction of the mechanical test
force.
No statistical difference was observed in
fracture loading between the printing angles,
contrary to studies by Reymus et al. [11] and
Turksayar et al. [10]. Post-fracture data may
be explained by the morphological similarity
between specimens. According to Park et al. [12],
the mechanical properties of 3D-printed resins
reect their morphological presentation. Various
commercial resins exhibit different surface
conditions regarding particle size, matrix,
and dimension. Therefore, the morphology
and chemical composition of the resin
influence the mechanical properties of this
temporary material [9]. Aging of specimens
in Turksayar et al. [10] (thermomechanical
with 120000 cycles and baths at 5 - 55°C) and
Reymus et al. [11] (21 days of storage in distilled
water at 37°C) may alter the thicker bonding
layers, resulting in differences in fracture load
values. Additionally, stereolithography’s detail
enhancement, which cannot be replicated with
DLP, and the different chemical composition of
the tested resin contributed to different results
from the current research.
Regarding the fracture pattern, this study
evaluated all specimens after achieving fracture,
meaning the test was not stopped upon identifying
the rst crack. Thus, there was a higher frequency
of all fractures occurring simultaneously in the
specimen, resulting in multiple fragments. This
result supports Park et al. [12] on the fracture of
three-element bridges using the DLP technique,
where the low elasticity of the tested resin
generated multiple fragments, particularly in
the connector area. It is worth noting that the
increasing volume of these fragments may cause
harm to the patient after fracture, due to the
3D-printed resin’s composition based on acrylate
monomers, which has good surface hardness but
is brittle due to its chemical structure. Moreover,
the greater prevalence of all failures in the 0°
and 90° groups can be explained by their ability
to withstand higher loads until fracture, with
greater layer compression and fewer surface
damages, especially in the 90° group. This
contrasts with the conditions observed in the 45°
group regarding average fracture force and the
intermediate layer between printing layers.
The limitations identified in this research
included the lack of aging, comparison of other
printing angles, and additional analyses. Further
studies should investigate fracture loading
after mechanical cycling, identify the origin of
specimen fractures, and perform analyses of elastic
modulus and fracture toughness to gather in vitro
information for subsequent controlled clinical
trials and validate the use of 3D-printed resins for
provisional bridges in daily clinical practice.
CONCLUSION
Based on the results obtained from this in vitro
research, it was observed that different printing
angles for provisional bridges manufactured with
3D-printed resin affect the hardness, but do not
impact the fracture loading.
Author’s Contributions
LMBB: Methodology, Software, Writing -
Original Draft, Formal Analysis, Investigation,
Visualization. YVSS: Formal Analysis, Writing
- Review & Editing. MTLMB: Formal Analysis,
Writing - Review & Editing. TKAS: Formal Analysis,
Writing - Review & Editing. CMLS: Formal
Analysis, Writing - Review & Editing. AJTN: Formal
Analysis, Investigation, Writing - Review & Editing,
Visualization. LALB: Formal Analysis, Investigation,
Writing - Review & Editing, Visualization. VMGF:
Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation,
Supervision, Project Administration.
Conict of Interest
No conicts of interest declared concerning
the publication on this article.
Funding
The authors declare that no nancial support
was received.