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The development of digital technologies has allowed for the fabrication of new materials; however, it makes it difficult to choose the best methods to obtain occlusal splints with optimal properties, so it is essential to evaluate the effectiveness of these materials. The aim of the study is to compare the fracture resistance of occlusal splints made of different materials after thermo-mechanical aging. Methods: A total of 32 samples were made from 4 materials (two 3D printed polymeric materials, a PMMA disc for CAD/CAM, and a conventional heat-cured acrylic resin); subsequently, the fracture test was performed using the load compression mode applied occlusally on the splint surface. Statistical analysis: Four statistical tests were used (Shapiro-Wilk, Levene’s test, ANOVA, and Tukey’s HSD test). Results: The following study showed that there are differences in fracture strength among the four materials investigated, where the highest strength was observed in the milled splint, with a mean of 3051.2 N (newton) compared to the strength of the flexible splint with 1943.4 N, the printed splint with 1489.9 N, and the conventional acrylic splint with 1303.9 N. Conclusions: The milled splints were the most resistant to fracture. Of the printed splints, the splint made with flexural rigid resin withstood the applied forces in acceptable ranges, so its clinical indication may be viable. Although the results of this research indicated differences in the mechanical properties between the CAD/CAM and conventional fabrication methods, the selection may also be influenced by processing time and cost, since with a CAD/CAM system there is a significant reduction in the production time of the splint material.

Clinical outcomes of dental restorations depend primarily on the choice of materials used, and nowadays, dental CAD-CAM (Computer-Aided Design Computer-Aided Manufacturing) materials have strongly changed daily clinical practice. The aim of this systematic review is to analyze CAD-CAM dental materials according to their mechanical properties and in relation to their clinical applications. A literature review was performed on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, and the Cochrane Library. Articles addressing at least one of the following topics regarding dental materials for CAD-CAM systems: manufacturers, mechanical features, materials’ composition, optical properties, clinical indications, and/or outcomes were included in the review. A flowchart was performed as described in the PRISMA guidelines. Among the 564 articles found, 63 were analyzed and evaluated. Within the limitations of this systematic review, it can be concluded that CAD-CAM materials present a wide range of clinical applications due to their improved mechanical properties. Specifically, in addition to materials that have been in use for a long time (such as feldspathic ceramics), resin block composites can also be used for permanent restorations.

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Advancements in Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) have promoted the development of novel dental materials for several types of definitive restorations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the surface characteristics of resin-based CAD/CAM restorative materials, fabricated using both subtractive and additive manufacturing techniques. The materials tested included Filtek Z550 (FZ), Vita Enamic (VE), Shofu HC (SH), and VarseoSmile TriniQ (TQ). For each material, 24 specimens were prepared; half were manually polished following the manufacturer’s recommendations, while the other half underwent standardized metallographic polishing. The surface roughness, wettability, and molecular composition were assessed. A statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 29.0 at a 95% confidence level (α = 0.05). Statistically significant differences in surface properties were observed between direct and indirect restoratives following manual polishing, with SH performing favorably in terms of surface roughness. The polishing method significantly influenced the surface characteristics of each material, except for certain roughness parameters in SH. Both surface roughness and wettability were dependent on the material and the polishing technique, highlighting the need for improved material-specific polishing protocols.

Post and core restorations are a widely accepted method to restore endodontically treated teeth with compromised tooth structure. The use of computerized technology to fabricate customized post and cores is a simple and quick alternative to conventional methods. A literature search was conducted, and a summary of articles describing fabrication techniques and materials used to fabricate post and cores with computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) has been provided. Several techniques have been reported to restore endodontically treated teeth with CAD/CAM post and cores, including direct and indirect methods. Zirconia, composite resin, and hybrid ceramic were the most commonly reported materials. Published reports on CAD/CAM post and core are limited; however, further studies are needed to investigate the long-term outcome of this treatment.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the fracture resistance of temporary restorations made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), graphene-modified PMMA (GRA), acetal resin (AR) and polysulfone (PS) obtained by a subtractive technique (milling) using a computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system of a three-unit fixed dental prosthesis (FDP). Methods: Four groups of ten samples were fabricated for each material. Each specimen was characterized by a compression test on a universal testing machine, all specimens were loaded to fracture and the value in Newtons (N) was recorded by software connected to the testing machine. The fracture mode was evaluated on all samples using a stereomicroscope. Results: There were statistically significant differences (p value < 0.005) between PMMA and the other three materials (PMMA: 1302.71 N; GRA: 1990.02 N; RA: 1796.20 N; PS: 2234.97). PMMA presented a significantly lower value than the other materials, and PS showed the highest value. GRA and RA presented a similar range of values but they were still higher than those of PMMA. Conclusions: GRA, RA and PS are presented as valid options within the range of interim milled restorative materials and as alternatives to PMMA.

This study aimed to use quantitative and qualitative evaluations based on micro-tensile bond strength (μTBS) to clarify the appropriate immediate dentin sealing (IDS) approach for improving the bonding of CAD/CAM ceramic crown restorations. Forty-eight extracted human molars were prepared to obtain standardized abutment specimens and divided into three groups: no IDS (group C: control), IDS performed by a single application of an all-in-one adhesive system (group A), and IDS performed by the combined application of an adhesive system and a flowable resin composite (group F). All specimens were restored with a ceramic crown fabricated by a chair-side CAD/CAM system and were divided into no-stress and stressed groups. After cyclic loading (78.5 N; total, 3 × 105 cycles; 90 cycles/min) on the specimens in the stressed group, all specimens were sectioned. The μTBS values for the occlusal and mesioaxial walls were measured (n = 16) and analyzed statistically. The quantitative bonding performance of groups A and F were superior to that of group C, regardless of the cyclic loading and abutment wall conditions. Group F showed the maximum bond strength and the highest bond durability in the qualitative bonding performance even under the cyclic loading condition simulating clinical mastication.

CAM/CAD composites are widely used as dental restoration materials due to their resistivity to wear. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of human gingival fibroblast cells on three different computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) hybrid materials with resin-based composites (RBC) and to assess their stability following cell growth. The CAM/CAD dental materials were investigated in different conditions as follows: (i) cells (human gingival fibroblasts, HFIB-Gs) incubated over the material for each sample, denoted as A; (ii) reference, the raw material, denoted as B; and (iii) materials incubated in DMEM medium, denoted as C. We employed Vicker’s hardness test, EDS, SEM, and AFM measurements as well as Raman spectroscopy to carefully characterize the surface modifications and the structural integrity of the CAM/CAD materials before and after fibroblast cell culture. The analysis of the surface in terms of morphology, roughness, structure, and plastic deformation presented no significant difference after incubation in cells or in media, proving their extraordinary stability and resilience to biofilm formation.

Background: The durability of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) resin nanoceramics in the oral environment is influenced by aging factors such as thermocycling and ultraviolet (UV) exposure. This study investigates the impact of these aging processes on surface characteristics and repair bond strength. Methods: CAD/CAM resin nanoceramic samples were divided into the following five groups: control (non-aged), 1-year and 5-year thermocycling, and 1-year and 5-year UV aging (n = 12). For the thermocycling procedure, the parameters employed were a temperature range of 5–55 °C with dwell times of 20 s per bath and 10,000 and 50,000 cycles; for the ultraviolet aging process, the parameters were established at a wavelength of 340 nm, an intensity of 0.55 W/m², and durations of 300 h and 1500 h. Surface roughness, microhardness, and repair bond strength were analyzed through profilometry, Vickers microhardness testing, and shear bond strength assessment, respectively. SEM, AFM, and XRD analyses were performed for structural evaluation. Results: Both thermocycling and UV aging significantly increased surface roughness (p < 0.001) while reducing microhardness and repair bond strength (p < 0.001). UV aging had a more pronounced effect, particularly after five years, leading to the highest surface roughness (Ra: 61.77 μm; Rz: 271.57 μm) and lowest microhardness properties (63.13). EDAX analysis indicated matrix degradation and an increase in inorganic filler exposure. Conclusions: Aging significantly affects the surface characteristics of CAD/CAM resin nanoceramics, with UV aging exhibiting the most detrimental impact. These findings highlight the necessity of considering long-term material stability in dentistry.

The clinical success of laminate veneers depends upon their marginal discrepancy (MD) and internal gap (IG). This study aims to compare and evaluate the MD, overall discrepancy (OD), absolute marginal discrepancy (AMD), and IG of 3D-printed (Varseosmile TrinQ and Varseosmile Crown Plus) and computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM)-milled (Brilliant Crios) laminate veneers using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Thirty maxillary central incisors were prepared and divided randomly into three groups (n = 10). All teeth were scanned for veneer fabrication: Group PVT teeth with 3D-printed Varseosmile TrinQ, Group PVC teeth with 3D-printed Varseosmile Crown Plus, and Group BCM teeth with Brilliant Crios milled veneers. The specimens with respective veneers were scanned using CBCT, and the sectional images were measured for IG, MD, OD, and AMD. The mean values for MD recorded were 0.27, 0.31, and 0.40 for PVT, PVC, and BCM respectively). The mean values for IG recorded were as follows: PVT group—0.24, PVC group—0.28, and BCM group—0.39, and those for OD were as follows: PVT—0.22, PVC—0.32, and BCM—0.41. Intragroup significance was observed for IG and OD (p = 0.001). Findings revealed that milled veneers have a higher IG and MD than 3D-printed veneers, making them less clinically acceptable.