Surface integrity of provisional resin materials

Provisional resin materials are widely used in prosthetic dentistry and play an important role in the success of restorative treatment. Therefore, these materials must meet the requirements of preserving surface integrity during the treatment process. This study was done to evaluate surface roughness and microhardness of two provisional resin materials after 37 °C water storage. Two rectangular samples 21 mm × 11 mm × 3 mm, one bis-acrylic (bis-acrylic-Protemp II) and one polyethyl methacrylate (Trim®-PEMA) were fabricated as examples of provisional materials (n = 5 per material). The specimens were stored in 37 °C deionized distilled water for 24 h, 1, 2 and 3 weeks. The control specimens were not stored in water. The surface roughness of the tested materials (n = 10) was measured using a profilometer. Microhardness tests were conducted using a Vickers microscope mounted indenter system (n = 10). At 24 h, the surface roughness was recorded with bis-acrylic-Protemp II as higher than methacrylate materials. No significant differences of microhardness between Trim®-PEMA and bis-acrylic-Protemp II were recognized at 1, 2 and 3 weeks. The microhardness values increased with the increase of surface roughness and vice versa in both Trim®-PEMA and bis-acrylic-Protemp II. Both surface roughness and microhardness are affected by water storage. Bis-acrylic-Protemp II revealed better results in hardness than methacrylate resins, whereas Trim®-PEMA has a better surface roughness.