Poly(aryl-ether-ketone) materials (PAEKs), a class of high-performance polymers comprised of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), have attracted interest in standard dental procedures due to their inherent characteristics in terms of mechanical and biological properties. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a restorative dental material widely used for prosthetic frameworks due to its superior physical, mechanical, aesthetic, and handling features. Meanwhile, polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic embraced in the additive manufacturing market. In the present review study, a new way to fabricate high-performance polymers, particularly PEEK and PEKK, is demonstrated using additive manufacturing digital dental technology, or 3-dimensional (3D) printing. The focus in this literature review will encompass an investigation of the chemical, mechanical, and biological properties of HPPs, particularly PEEK and PEKK, along with their application particularly in dentistry. High-performance polymers have gained popularity in denture prosthesis in advance dentistry due to their flexibility in terms of manufacturing and the growing interest in utilizing additive manufacturing in denture fabrication. Further, this review also explores the literature regarding the properties of high-performance polymers (HPP) compared to previous reported polymers in terms of the dental material along with the current advancement of the digital designing and manufacturing.

Statement of problem. Current 3-dimensionally (3D) printed denture bases have inadequate strength and durability for long-term use, and milled denture bases generate excessive waste. Addressing these limitations is crucial to advancing prosthetic dentistry, ensuring improved patient outcomes and promoting environmental responsibility. Purpose. The purpose of this in vitro study was to incorporate microparticles into a commercially available 3D printed denture base resin and compare its mechanical and biological properties with the conventional polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) denture base material. Material and methods. Microparticles were collected from milled zirconia blanks and were blended with a 3D printing denture base resin (NextDent Denture 3D+). The optimal zirconia microparticle content (2%) for blending and printed was determined by using a liquid-crystal display (LCD) 3D printer. The printed specimens were then postrinsed and postpolymerized based on the manufacturer’s instructions. Mechanical and biological characterization were carried out in terms of flexural strength, fracture toughness, and fungal adhesion. One-way ANOVA was carried out to analyze the results statistically. Results. The incorporation of microparticles in the 3D printed denture demonstrated higher mechanical strength (104.77 ±7.60 MPa) compared with conventional heat-polymerized denture base resin (75.15 ±24.41 MPa) (P<.001), but the mechanical strength deteriorated when compared with the unmodified 3D printing resin (122.17 ±11.58 MPa) (P<.001). However, the modified 3D printed denture showed greater antibacterial activity (1184.00 ±243.25 CFU/mL) than the unmodified resin (1486.50 ±103.94 CFU/mL) (P=.045). Conclusions. The incorporation of microparticles into the 3D printed denture base resin demonstrated the potential to enhance the mechanical and biological properties of the denture base when compared with conventional techniques. However, when compared with the unmodified 3D printed denture base resin, the mechanical properties deteriorated while the biological properties improved. (J Prosthet Dent xxxx;xxx:xxx-xxx)

Three-dimensional printing is increasingly applied in dentistry to fabricate denture bases. Several 3D-printing technologies and materials are available to fabricate denture bases, but there is data scarcity on the effect of printability, mechanical, and biological properties of the 3D-printed denture base upon fabricating with different vat polymerization techniques. In this study, the NextDent denture base resin was printed with the stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), and light-crystal display (LCD) technique and underwent the same post-processing procedure. The mechanical and biological properties of the denture bases were characterized in terms of flexural strength and modulus, fracture toughness, water sorption and solubility, and fungal adhesion. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc were used to statistically analyze the data. The results showed that the greatest flexural strength was exhibited by the SLA (150.8 ± 7.93 MPa), followed by the DLP and LCD. Water sorption and solubility of the DLP are significantly higher than other groups (31.51 ± 0.92 µg mm3 ) and 5.32 ± 0.61 µg mm3 , respectively. Subsequently, the most fungal adhesion was found in SLA (221.94 ± 65.80 CFU/mL). This study confirmed that the NextDent denture base resin designed for DLP can be printed with different vat polymerization techniques. All of the tested groups met the ISO requirement aside from the water solubility, and the SLA exhibited the greatest mechanical strength.

Polymers remain an integral part of denture fabrication materials, specifically polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA). PMMA has been extensively used, particularly in construction as a denture base material. Nonetheless, various challenges, including microbial threats in the form of candidiasis occurrence, still remain a biological challenge to denture wearers. The present article comprehensively reviews the biomodifications introduced to denture components, in particular denture base material, to improve the overall biological properties, together with physical, mechanical, structural integrity, and optical properties. In addition, fundamental information specifically to PMMA as a conventional denture base material and the causative aetiological microbial agents for biological threat to dentures are explored