Comparative evaluation of flexural strength and modulus of denture base resin with mesh and stick type glass fiber reinforcement

Purpose: This study is to compare the flexural strength and modulus by inserting a mesh and stick type fiberglass reinforcement into resin specimens. Methods: Wax specimens (length 64 mm, width 39 mm, thickness 5 mm) are prepared according to ISO 20795-1:2013. Mesh type and stick type glass fiber reinforcements were prepared. The prepared wax specimens were used plaster and flask for investment. The flask was separated and the wax was removed. The heat curing resin was injected into the flask, and then a mesh type and stick type fiberglass reinforcement were inserted. The prepared resin specimen was cut into three equal parts (length 64 mm, width 10 mm, thickness 3.3 mm). The mesh type glass fiber reinforcement (MT group) and the stick type glass fiber reinforcement (ST group) were classified into two groups. The prepared specimen was measured using a universal testing machine (UTM). The data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test, and the significance level was set to 0.05. Results: In the flexural strength, the ST group was higher than the MT group, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (p<0.05). In the flexural modulus, the ST group was higher than the MT group, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: The stick-type glass fiber increased the flexural strength than the mesh-type glass fiber reinforcement.