Comparison of the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Thermoplastics, 3D-Printed Resin, and Conventional Provisional Restorative Materials

Abstract

To compare the physical and mechanical properties of a DLP-fabricated 3D-printed provisional resin and FDM-fabricated thermoplastic materials with those of conventional provisional restorative materials. In the additive manufacturing groups, a 3D-printed provisional resin, FDM-fabricated polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) were evaluated. The conventional materials consisted of a bis-acryl provisional composite resin and a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin. All specimens (n=10 per group) were prepared in accordance with the relevant manufacturers’ instructions. Microhardness, water sorption, flexural strength, and elastic modulus were measured at baseline and after 14 days of storage in artificial saliva. Data were analyzed using parametric statistical methods (p<0.05). The bis-acryl provisional composite resin showed the highest Vickers microhardness and elastic modulus values, the lowest water sorption, and flexural strength comparable to the 3D-printed provisional resin but significantly higher than PMMA. The 3D-printed provisional resin performed similarly to bis-acryl and PMMA for microhardness and flexural behavior but exhibited higher water sorption. FDM-fabricated PLA and PETG showed lower performance across the evaluated properties (p<0.05). The bis-acryl provisional composite resin demonstrated the highest mechanical performance among the tested materials. The three-dimensional printed provisional resin showed properties comparable with polymethyl methacrylate, whereas the fused deposition modeling fabricated polylactic acid and polyethylene terephthalate glycol materials exhibited inferior physical and mechanical properties.