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Effect of flasking and polymerization techniques on tooth movement in complete denture processing
Ricardo Shibayama1, Humberto Gennari Filho, José Vitor Quinelli Mazaro
1Dental Prostheses and Occlusion, Department of Restorative Dentistry, Londrina State University, Brazil.
Summary
A silicone investment layer in complete denture flasking minimizes artificial tooth positional changes, regardless of polymerization method. This finding suggests improved dimensional stability in denture fabrication.
Area of Science:
- Dentistry
- Materials Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Complete denture fabrication involves flasking and polymerization, critical steps that can affect the dimensional stability of artificial teeth.
- Understanding and minimizing positional changes during these processes is essential for achieving accurate and functional dentures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare artificial tooth positional changes after flasking and polymerization of complete dentures.
- To evaluate the combined effects of two flasking methods (gypsum vs. silicone investment) and two polymerization techniques (water bath vs. microwave energy).
Main Methods:
- Four groups of complete dentures (n=10) were fabricated using different combinations of investment materials (gypsum or silicone) and polymerization methods (water bath or microwave).
- Interdental distances were measured using AutoCAD R14 software to quantify artificial tooth positions before and after polymerization.
- Statistical analysis was performed using univariate ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc tests.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in artificial tooth positional changes were observed among most groups.
- A statistically significant difference was noted in one segment (D) between the silicone-microwave (Silmicro) and gypsum-water (Gypwater) groups, indicating expansion and shrinkage, respectively.
- The silicone investment layer generally resulted in smaller positional changes compared to the gypsum layer.
Conclusions:
- The use of a silicone investment layer for complete denture flasking demonstrated a trend towards minimizing artificial tooth positional changes.
- While not always statistically significant, silicone investment appears to offer superior dimensional stability irrespective of the polymerization technique employed.
- These findings suggest that silicone investment is a favorable option for enhancing the accuracy of complete denture fabrication.
