Abstract
AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the effect of the addition of light-cured fibre SES mesh at different levels (near the polished surface, at the middle, and near the tissue surface) within different acrylic resin denture base materials on the transverse strength and the surface hardness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty samples were prepared from three types of acrylic resin denture base materials (high impact heat cured, cross-linked heat cured, and microwaved cured acrylic resins) to test the transverse strength and surface hardness. The samples were divided into four groups: Group1(samples without fibre reinforcement, Control group, n = 30); Group 2 (samples reinforced using SES mesh network near the tissue surface of the acrylic resin sample, n = 30); Group 3 (samples reinforced using SES mesh network near to the polished surface of the acrylic resin sample, n = 30); Group 4 (samples reinforced using SES mesh reinforced network at the middle of the acrylic resin sample, n = 30). The data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test at a 0.05 level of significance (SPSS software, version 19.0). RESULTS: One-way ANOVA showed a significant difference in the mean values of transverse strength between all levels of fibre mesh applications and without fibre mesh reinforcement (P < 0.05). Tukey's post hoc test showed that mesh-reinforced fibre in Group 4 had the highest mean value, while the control group showed the lowest mean value. One-way ANOVA showed a significant difference in the mean surface hardness values between cross-linked heat-cured and microwave-cured acrylic resins (P< 0.05). There was no significant difference in the mean surface hardness values between all levels of fibre mesh applications and without fibre mesh reinforcement for high-impact heat-cured acrylic resin (P ˃ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SES-reinforced glass fibre mesh at different levels significantly increased the transverse strength for different acrylic resin materials but had less effect on the surface hardness for all types of acrylic resin materials.