Color stability of 3D-printed denture resins: effect of aging, mechanical brushing and immersion in staining medium

Purpose. This in-vitro study evaluated and compared the color stability of 3D-printed and conventional heat-polymerized acrylic resins following aging, mechanical brushing, and immersion in staining medium. Materials and methods. Forty disc-shaped specimens (10 mm in diameter and 3 mm thick) were prepared from two 3D-printed [DentaBASE (DB) and Denture 3D+ (D3D)] and one conventional polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) denture materials. The specimens were thermo-cycled, subjected to mechanical brushing, and were immersed in either coffee, lemon juice, coke, or artificial saliva (AS) to simulate one and two years of oral use. Color measurements of the specimens were recorded by a spectrophotometer at baseline (T0), and after one (T1) and two years (T2) of simulation. The color changes (ΔE) were determined and also quantified according to the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) units. Descriptive statistics, followed by factorial ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test (α=.05), were applied for data analysis. Results. The independent factors, namely material, staining medium, and immersion time, and interaction among these factors significantly influenced ΔE (P