Effect of hydrogen peroxide disinfectant on the flexural strength of different custom impression tray materials fabricated using conventional and digital methods.

Aim: The aim was to evaluate the effect of hydrogen peroxide disinfectant exposure for 60 minutes -representing the longest exposure time recommended for achieving the widest antimicrobial spectrum- on the flexural strength (FS) of 3D-printed (3DP), light-cured (LC) and self-cured (SC) custom tray materials.

Materials and methods: Rectangular prism-shaped specimens (64 × 10 × 3.3 mm) were fabricated from three custom tray materials; 3DP, LC, and SC. Specimens of each material were randomly divided into disinfected (D) and non-disinfected (ND) subgroups (n = 12). Disinfection was performed by the hydrogen peroxide-containing disinfectant for 60 minutes. FS was evaluated by using a three-point bending test on universal testing device. Data were statistically analyzed by two-way ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, post-hoc Dunnett T3 and Tukey's tests (α = .05). Weibull analysis was applied to assess the reliability and variability of FS values.

Result: Disinfectant had no significant effect on the FS of any tray material (P = .369). Significant differences were found on FS values among the tray material types (P < .001), with the 3DP material exhibiting the highest FS (81.6 ± 13.2 MPa) and the LC material the lowest (16.5 ± 7.6 MPa). 3DP material had the highest Weibull moduli, while LC demonstrated the lowest.

Conclusion: Hydrogen peroxide disinfection for 60 minutes did not affect the FS of custom impression tray materials. 3DP material demonstrated the highest FS, highlighting its potential as reliable and standardized option for clinical use.