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Comparison of Conventional and Fiber-Reinforced Restorative Protocols Using Standardized Three-Dimensional Printed
Isabella Sousa Corrêa1, Kênia Maria Pereira Soares de Toubes2, Alberto Nogueira da Gama Antunes1
1Department of Dentistry Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUCMinas) Belo Horizonte Brazil.
Objective:
To compare the fracture resistance and failure patterns of different restorative protocols in standardized three-dimensional (3D)-printed cracked molars.
Methods:
Sixty standardized mandibular molar models were fabricated from a single digital design using 3D printing technology and randomly allocated into five experimental groups (n = 12): sound teeth, cracked teeth (CT), CT with mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) cavity preparation, MOD cavities restored with conventional composite resin, and MOD cavities restored with a polyethylene fiber-reinforced composite protocol. Fracture resistance was evaluated by static compressive loading. Failure patterns were classified according to predefined criteria. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post hoc test with Bonferroni adjustment (α = 0.05).
Results:
Significant differences in fracture resistance were observed among the experimental groups (p < 0.001). The polyethylene fiber-reinforced composite group exhibited the highest fracture resistance (1288 ± 345 N), whereas the unrestored MOD group showed the lowest values (187 ± 63 N). The fiber-reinforced and conventional composite groups did not differ significantly in fracture resistance (Bonferroni-adjusted p = 1.000). Failure patterns showed a descriptively heterogeneous distribution within the fiber-reinforced restorative protocol.
Conclusions:
Within the limitations of this in vitro study, the fiber-reinforced restorative protocol demonstrated fracture resistance comparable to sound teeth and conventional composite restorations under static loading. The observed failure patterns differed descriptively among restorative protocols. These findings provide preliminary biomechanical evidence regarding the performance of different restorative strategies in a standardized 3D-printed model.
