The effect of ZrO2 NPs addition on denture adaptation and diametral compressive strength of 3D printed denture base resin

The world of dentistry is constantly evolving, and with the advent of 3D printing technology, the possibilities are endless. However, little is known about the effects of adding ZrO2 NPs to the denture base resin of 3D additive manufacturing technique.Aim of this study is to evaluate the behavior of resin which is used to 3D printing of denture base with the addition of ZrO2 NPs on denture adaptation property and diametral compression strength. 60 samples were printed, 30 disks for diametral compressive test and 30 denture base for denture adaptation test. Three groups per test (n=10). The control group for each test included unreinforced 3Dprinted denture base resin, and the other groups were  reinforced with (2&3%) nanoZrO2; diametral compressive strength was evaluated using universal compressive testing machine, while denture adaptation was evaluated by exocad software program. the study reveals significant difference in both diametral compressive strength and denture adaptation of the 3Dprinted denture base resin after adding nanoZrO2, as denture adaptation increased; the mean of diametral compression was decreasing with 2%&3% percent of ZrO2 NPs. addition of Zro2 NPs to 3D printed denture base resin may help in improving the material behavior as concerning mechanical and adaptation properties.