Improvement of the antibacterial properties of acrylic resins, used in the construction of removable orthodontic appliances, is an important strategy to reduce the incidence of caries and oral diseases in orthodontic treatments. The addition of antimicrobial agents to acrylic resins is one of the effective methods to enhance the antimicrobial properties of these materials. However, one main concern is that modification of acrylic resin has negative effects on its mechanical properties. Recently, chitosan nanoparticles (NPs), as biocompatible and biodegradable polysaccharides with remarkable antimicrobial properties, have been used in different areas of dentistry and medicine. This study aimed to investigate the effects of adding chitosan NPs on the mechanical properties of a cold-cure orthodontic acrylic resin. The chitosan NPs were added to the acrylic resin in various weight percentages: 0% (control), 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 4%. The flexural strength, compressive strength, Vickers microhardness, and impact strength measurements were performed for all five groups. The results showed that adding up to 1% (w/w) chitosan NPs to an acrylic resin had no significant negative effects on its flexural strength and compressive strength, while it decreased these parameters at weight percentages of 2% and 4% (w/w). The results also revealed that modification of acrylic resin with chitosan NPs up to 4% had no significant negative effects on the microhardness and impact strength of acrylic resin. In conclusion, the addition of chitosan NPs up to 1% (w/w) had no significant negative effects on the mechanical properties of cold-cure acrylic resin.
Keywords: acrylic resin; chitosan; mechanical properties; nanoparticles.