Abstract
BACKGROUND: Provisional restorations play a fundamental role in fixed prosthodontic rehabilitation. While current evidence has identified CAD/CAM-fabricated materials as the preferred option due to their excellent mechanical properties, 3D-printed resins have shown significant improvements in their performance in recent years. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to re-evaluate the fracture resistance of provisional crowns fabricated using 3D-printed resin and CAD/CAM-milled PMMA, considering the influence of artificial aging. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An in vitro study was conducted on 60 provisional crowns divided into four groups according to material type (3D-printed resin or CAD/CAM PMMA) and aging condition; thermocycling and simulated brushing were applied, fracture resistance was tested using a universal testing machine, and data were analyzed using the Student's t-test at a 5% significance level. RESULTS: After artificial aging, 3D-printed restorations showed significantly higher fracture resistance than CAD-CAM milled crowns (p = 0.0064). However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two fabrication methods under non-aged conditions (p > 0.05). All groups exceeded the minimum values considered clinically accepTable. CONCLUSIONS: 3D printing demonstrated superior mechanical stability after artificial aging, supporting its clinical viability as an efficient, predicTable, and favorable option for provisional restorations in oral rehabilitation. Key words:3D printing, CAD/CAM, Digital dentistry, Provisional restoration, fracture resistance.