Occlusal vertical dimension changes in visible light-cured resin

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Prosthodontics

Background:

• Accurate vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO) is crucial for complete denture success.
• Acrylic resin denture bases are susceptible to dimensional changes during processing.
• Different processing methods may influence the stability of the VDO.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the dimensional accuracy of denture bases processed using compression molding heat-cured acrylic resin versus visible light-cured denture base materials.
• To evaluate the effect of different processing techniques on the vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO).

Main Methods:

• Twenty identical edentulous casts were used to construct waxed-up denture sets.
• Denture sets were divided into two groups: Group I (compression molding heat-cured acrylic resin) and Group II (visible light-cured denture base material).
• Vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO) was measured after processing for all denture sets.

Main Results:

• Group I exhibited an increase in VDO, while Group II showed a decrease in VDO.
• Significant differences in dimensional changes were observed between the two groups.
• Denture bases in Group I demonstrated 54.5% greater dimensional changes compared to Group II.

Conclusions:

• Compression molding heat-cured acrylic resin processing leads to more significant dimensional instability than visible light-cured materials.
• The choice of denture base material and processing method can affect the maintenance of the vertical dimension of occlusion.
• Visible light-cured materials may offer superior dimensional accuracy for complete dentures.