Evaluation of a novel fixed-space maintainer made of light-cured acrylic resin: an in vitro study

Abstract

To evaluate a fixed-space maintainer made of light-cure acrylic resin (LCAR) for its flexural and shear bond strength using different bonding systems to the enamel. 45 extracted primary teeth were selected. They were randomly divided into three equal groups (n = 15) along with the type of adhesive system (Tetric Flow, Transbond XT, and Fuji Ortho LC) used for bonding (LCAR) to the tooth surface. Surfaces were treated; LCAR was attached to the treated surfaces using a split Teflon mold. For flexural strength testing, ten bars of LCAR were made using another Teflon-split mold. Shear bond strength and mean flexural strength values were evaluated by a universal testing machine. The highest values of bond strength were recorded for Transbond XT, followed by Tetric Flow, while the lowest values were for Fuji Ortho LC. Various groups had a significant difference as investigated by ANOVA. ARI scores showed no significant difference in debond sites. Mean value and standard deviation of flexural strength for LCAR were 82.83 ± 5.2. LCAR has superior mechanical properties and could be an alternative to currently-in-use space maintainer though in vivo and in vitro trials are needed to progress the ultimate design of LCAR.

BDJ Open (2019-2020) and the advantages of open access publishing

“…As outlined above, open access journals are usually a very popular choice for authors with papers reporting the category of preclinical/ex vivo studies. It is interesting to note that the same number of papers in this category (seven) 20,21,22,23,24,25,26 were published in 2019-2020 as those reporting the results of evaluations/studies into patient experience. BDJ Open was able to publish early-stage findings from some well-established research teams.…”

“…BDJ Open was able to publish early-stage findings from some well-established research teams. Souror et al's paper 'Evaluation of a novel fixed-space maintainer made of lightcured acrylic resin: an in vitro study' 20 also gave the opportunity to publish a more novel solution to a familiar clinical problem, when the available resources differ from what might be found in a dental clinic or hospital in the UK. This would have been unlikely to be of interest to UK clinicians, but having an open access journal in the BDJ Portfolio enables this knowledge to be shared worldwide.…”