Contemporary hybrid acrylic materials and modern thermoplastics in the manufacture of dental prostheses

Abstract Introduction: Some modern acrylic denture base resin enhancing materials, investigated by researchers aiming to improve the properties of the resin, were collected and described as part of this review. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), is widely used as a prosthodontic base for both partial and complete dentures, but it has many disadvantages such as low strength, insufficient resistance to fatigue, and porosity. Therefore, the topic of modern thermoplastic materials that could replace acrylic dentures will also be discussed. Materials and methods: In this article, we reviewed literature available on PubMed, Google Scholar, and NIH. The search was conducted in such electronic databases with the following keywords: “acrylic resin”, “nanoparticles”, “reinforcements of removable dentures”, “BioHPP in dentistry”, and “acetal resin in dentistry”. This study is focused on the effects of adding fibers, fillers, and nanofillers on the properties of PMMA. The paper draws on science-based reviews, original scientific papers, abstracts, and studies published over the past few decades. Results: The article explores various fillers and fibers that can be added to acrylic resin for dental prostheses. Adding carbon nanotubes, titanium diox ide (TiO2), silicon dioxide (SiO2), and zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) can improve the strength and other properties of the resin. Glass fibers, polyamide, aramid, polyethylene, and polypropylene fibers can increase fracture resistance, impact strength, and modulus. Combining ZrO2, zirconium nanotubes, and silane-treated ZrO2 nanoparticles is suggested to be the best solution for reinforcing dental prostheses. Conclusion: The properties of PMMA denture base material can be enhanced with the addition of fibers, fillers, silanized nanoparticles, and hybrid reinforcements to reduce damage and cracks. Due to the lack of an ideal material for dentures, the properties of PMMA can be improved with these modifications to make it significantly more convenient for patients to use.