Microhardness and Water Sorption of Resin Composite, CAD/CAM Ceramic, and 3D-Printed Materials After Simulated Aging
OPERATIVE DENTISTRY, cilt.51, sa.3, ss.243-251, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 51 Sayı: 3
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.2341/24-171-l
- Dergi Adı: OPERATIVE DENTISTRY
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, MEDLINE
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.243-251
- Kocaeli Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Rationale: The long-term durability of restorative materials under thermal aging is a critical factor in clinical performance. Although the mechanical properties of resin composites and lithium disilicate ceramics are well documented, data on thermoplastic polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), particularly regarding water sorption and hardness after thermal aging, remain limited. Objective: To investigate the effect of thermal aging on the Vickers hardness and water sorption of resin composite and lithium disilicate-based CAD/CAM materials, PLA, and PETG materials. Methods and Materials: The following resin composite materials were used in this study: PLA (WIESZ/Kaibo, Shenzhen, China), PETG (Creality, Shenzhen, China), lithium disilicate (IPS e.max CAD, Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schaan, Liechtenstein), and a light-cured nanofilled posterior resin composite (Clearfil Majesty Posterior, Kuraray, Tokyo, Japan) (n = 10). Disk-shaped specimens were fabricated for the resin composite, and square prism-shaped specimens were prepared for PLA, PETG, and lithium disilicate. Weight and Vickers microhardness were measured before and after thermal aging. Data were analyzed for water sorption and microhardness using Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn's, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (alpha < 0.05) Results: Water sorption differed significantly among materials (Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.05). PLA showed the highest uptake; the lithium disilicate-based CAD/CAM material showed the lowest (PLA vs lithium disilicate, p < 0.001). Vickers hardness decreased significantly after thermocycling for PLA (p = 0.005) and PETG (p = 0.009), while no significant change was observed for the resin composite (p = 0.059) or lithium disilicate-based CAD/CAM material (p = 0.646). Conclusion: Comparisons of microhardness and water sorption values showed that PLA and PETG lack sufficient strength for permanent restorations.