Current CAD/CAM denture base materials: Mechanical performance, surface roughness and optical performance before and...

With the establishment of additive manufacturing technologies, new dimethacrylate (DMA) -based materials are increasingly being used in dentistry, among others for the fabrication of partial and complete dentures. In this study, six printable DMA-based materials (Freeprint® denture impact (DDI), Freeprint® denture 385 (DD), FotoDent denture (DRE), IMPRIMO® LC Denture (SIL), V-Print dentbase (VPR), and Optiprint Laviva (DOL)) were compared with two millable Polymethylmethacrylat (PMMA) - based reference materials (Vita Vionic Base (VIO), Ivotion Base (IVO)) regarding their mechanical properties (Vickers hardness HV1, Martens hardness HM, Indentation creep C_IT, Indentation modulus E_IT, Elastic and plastic deformation work W_plast and W_elast), surface texture (arithmetical mean height Sa), and optical properties (color change ΔE₀₀, Translucency TP₀₀) before and after a simulated one-year combined aging process. While the printed DMA-based materials (especially DOL, VPR, DD) initially exhibited significantly higher HM, HV1 and EIT, thereby showing superior dimensional stability, the milled PMMA materials (VIO, IVO) were characterized by a more ductile behavior (highest Wplast). After one year of aging, the milled PMMA remained largely stable or tended to show improved properties, whereas most printed DMA-based materials exhibited a decrease in hardness and an increase in roughness. Consequently, the printed systems offer high initial stiffness but require more rigorous hygiene management in the long term. Despite their lower hardness, milled PMMA appears to be prosthetically more predictable due to its higher proportion of plastic deformation and superior long-term chemical stability.