WEAR BEHAVIOR OF SEVEN ARTIFICIAL RESIN TEETH ASSESSED WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEASUREMENTS

Statement of problem. Artificial resin teeth are widely used for removable dental prostheses because of their excellent properties. An evaluation of their wear behavior is important for predicting good clinical performance. Purpose. The purpose of the study was to examine the wear behavior of 7 different artificial resin teeth with 3-dimensional measurements. Material and methods. The artificial denture teeth tested were 2 composite resin teeth (Yamahachi PX, Huge Kaijing), 3 crosslinked acrylic resin teeth (Cosmo HXL, Premium 8, Vita Lingoform), and 2 conventional acrylic resin teeth (Yamahachi FX, Shengjian). The specimens were subjected to an abrasive tester for masticatory simulation. The wear loss (vertical loss and volume loss) was determined with a confocal laser scanning microscope. Data were analyzed with 1-way ANOVA followed by the Games-Howell post hoc test (alpha=.05). Results. The mean vertical loss and volume loss for all cross-linked acrylic resin teeth (0.987-1.031 mu m, 0.858-0.939 mm(3) x 10(-3)) were higher than for all composite resin teeth (0.636-0.698 mu m, 0.507-0.650 mm(3) x 10(-3), P<.001) but lower than those for conventional acrylic resin teeth Yamahachi FX and Shengjian (1.39 mu m, 1.24 mm(3) x 10(-3); 12.1 mu m, 16.4 mm(3) x 10(-3); P<.001). No significant differences for wear loss were found between the Vita Lingoform group and the other cross-linked acrylic resin teeth (P>.05). Conclusion. The wear behavior of the artificial teeth examined differed with regard to their compositions. The composite resin teeth and high cross-linked acrylic resin teeth found superior wear resistance over the conventional acrylic resin teeth.