Is the high-performance thermoplastic polyetheretherketone indicated as a clasp material for removable dental prostheses?

Objectives To investigate the retention force of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) removable dental prosthesis clasps in comparison with a cobalt-chrome-molybdenum control group after storage in artificial saliva. Materials and Methods Clasps were milled (Dentokeep (PEEKmilled1), NT digital implant technology; breCAM BioHPP Blank (PEEKmilled2), bredent), pressed (BioHPP Granulat for 2 press (PEEKpressed), bredent), or cast (remanium GM 800+ (cobalt-chrome-molybdenum), Dentaurum); N = 60, n = 15/subgroup. Retention force was examined 50 times/specimen in a pull-off test using the universal testing machine (Zwick 1445), where pull-off force was applied with a crosshead speed of 5 mm/minute until the maximum force dropped by 10%, at different aging levels: (1) initial, after storage in artificial saliva for (2) 90 and (3) 180 days. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA followed by post hoc Scheffé-test and mixed models ( p < 0.05). Results Cobalt-chrome-molybdenum presented the highest retention force. No differences were observed between polyetheretherketone materials. Cobalt-chrome-molybdenum showed a significant decrease of its values after artificial aging, while polyetheretherketone materials presented similar results over the course of aging. Regarding a repetitive insertion and removal, even though PEEKmilled2 and cobalt-chrome-molybdenum showed an initial increase, ultimately, a decrease in retention force was observed for all tested groups. Conclusions Although the control group showed significantly higher results, the retention force of polyetheretherketone materials indicate a potential clinical application. Neither the manufacturing process nor artificial aging showed an impact on the retention force of polyetheretherketone clasps. Clinical relevance Mechanical properties of novel removable dental prosthesis clasp materials devised to meet the growing esthetic demands of patients need to be investigated to ensure a successful long-term clinical application.