Microcomputed tomography evaluation of cement film thickness of veneers and crowns made with conventional and 3D printed provisional materials

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate, through microcomputed tomography (μCT), the cement film thickness of veneers and crowns made with different provisional materials. Material and Methods: A veneer and a crown preparation were performed on a central incisor and a second molar of a dental model, respectively, scanned with an intraoral scanner, and the.stl files were exported to an LCD-based SLA three-dimensional (3D)-Printer. Twenty-four preparations were 3D-printed for each veneer and crown and divided into four groups (n = 6/group): (a) Acrylic resin (Acrílico Marche); (b) Bisacrylic resin (Protemp 4); (c) PMMA computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) (Vipiblock); and (d) 3D-printed resin for provisional restorations (Raydent C&B for temporary crown and bridge). Veneers and crowns restorations were performed and cemented with a flowable composite. Each specimen was scanned with a μCT apparatus, files were imported for data analysis, and cement film thickness was quantitatively measured. Data were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc tests (α =.05). Results: Crowns presented a thicker cementation film than veneers (P