Surface Characteristics and Microbiological Analysis of a Vat-Photopolymerization Additive-Manufacturing Dental Resin

• Published in: Materials Vol. 15; no. 2; p. 425
• Main Authors: Santos, Ericles Otávio, Oliveira, Pedro Lima Emmerich, de Mello, Thaís Pereira, Dos Santos, André Luis Souza, Elias, Carlos Nelson, Choi, Sung-Hwan, de Castro, Amanda Cunha Regal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 06.01.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Accuracy; Acrylic resins; Additive manufacturing; antifungal activity; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antimicrobial agents; Biofilms; Biomass; biomaterials; Dental materials; Dentistry; digital technologies; Extracellular matrix; Fungicides; Light; Manufacturers; Manufacturing; photo-polymerizable resin; Photopolymerization; poly methyl methacrylate resin; Polymerization; Resins; Statistical methods; Surface properties; Surface roughness; White light; Brazil; United States > US; antibacterial activity; photo-polymerizable resin; biomaterials; antifungal activity; digital technologies; surface properties; poly methyl methacrylate resin
• ISSN: 1996-1944; 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma15020425

The wide application of additive manufacturing in dentistry implies the further investigation into oral micro-organism adhesion and biofilm formation on vat-photopolymerization (VP) dental resins. The surface characteristics and microbiological analysis of a VP dental resin, printed at resolutions of 50 μm (EG-50) and 100 μm (EG-100), were evaluated against an auto-polymerizing acrylic resin (CG). Samples were evaluated using a scanning electron microscope, a scanning white-light interferometer, and analyzed for and biofilm, as well as antifungal and antimicrobial activity. EG-50 and EG-100 exhibited more irregular surfaces and statistically higher mean (Ra) and root-mean-square (rms) roughness (EG-50-Ra: 2.96 ± 0.32 µm; rms: 4.05 ± 0.43 µm/EG-100-Ra: 3.76 ± 0.58 µm; rms: 4.79 ± 0.74 µm) compared to the CG (Ra: 0.52 ± 0.36 µm; rms: 0.84 ± 0.54 µm) ( < 0.05). The biomass and extracellular matrix production by and and the metabolic activity of were significantly decreased in EG-50 and EG-100 compared to CG ( < 0.05). and growth was inhibited by the pure unpolymerized VP resin (48 h). EG-50 and EG-100 recorded a greater irregularity, higher surface roughness, and decreased and biofilm formation over the CG.