Temperature rise during polymerization of three different provisional materials

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Provisional restorations are crucial in dental treatments.
• Understanding the thermogenesis of provisional materials is vital for preventing pulpal damage.
• Dentin thickness is a key factor influencing heat dissipation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the temperature rise during polymerization of three provisional restorative materials.
• To assess the influence of two different dentin thicknesses on this temperature rise.
• To compare the exothermic properties of autopolymerizing and light-polymerizing materials.

Main Methods:

• Three provisional materials (bis-acrylic composite, polymethyl methacrylate, light-polymerizing composite) were tested.
• Sixty dentin discs of 1 mm and 2 mm thickness were prepared.
• Temperature rise was measured using a thermocouple and data logger under varying conditions.

Main Results:

• Temperature rise varied significantly with both material type (P<0.001) and dentin thickness (P<0.001).
• Polymethyl methacrylate exhibited the highest temperature rise, particularly at 2 mm dentin thickness (P<0.01).
• At 1 mm dentin thickness, both polymethyl methacrylate and composite showed higher temperature increases than bis-acrylic composite (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Polymethyl methacrylate-based materials pose a higher risk of heat-induced pulpal damage.
• Thinner dentin (<1 mm) in deep cavities necessitates careful consideration of provisional material selection due to increased heat risk.
• Material choice and cavity depth are critical factors in managing polymerization exothermicity.