Aim: The present study aimed at evaluating and comparing the transverse strength of heat polymerizing acrylic resin samples repaired using glass fiber-reinforced autopolymerizing acrylic resin with varying gap widths at the fracture site.
Materials and methods: Heat polymerizing acrylic resin samples of dimensions 65 * 10 * 2.5 mm each were fabricated. Ten of these were used as control. In the rest of samples, two grooves were fabricated and surface treated with ethyl acetate. The repair gap width was standardized at 4, 3, 2, and 1 mm. Totally, 80 samples were equally divided into these four groups. Glass fiber-reinforced autopolymerizing acrylic resin was used to repair these samples. The repaired samples and the control groups were subjected to three-point bending test, and the findings were analyzed statistically.
Results: It was observed that with increase in gap width, their transverse strength decreased. Most of the fractures occurred at the joint interface of parent and repair material. The fracture within the repaired material occurred highest in the group that had 4 mm gap, followed by groups that had 3 and 2 mm gaps. In the group with 1 mm gap, there was no occurrence of fracture within the repaired material.
Conclusion: To achieve optimum repair strength of a repaired denture, the gap width should not be greater than 1 mm.
Clinical significance: The study will aid in determining the ideal gap width for denture repair to prevent fracture and also the clinical application of glass fiber-reinforced autopolymerizing acrylic resin.
Keywords: Acrylic resin; Denture base; Glass fiber reinforcement; Repair Varying gap width..