Objective: This study evaluated the effect of thermo-mechanical cyclic loading (TMCL) on the fracture resistance of Implant-Supported Provisional Fixed Dental Prosthesis (ISP-FDP) fabricated by CAD/CAM and 3D printing.
Material and Methods: Thirty ISP-FDPs were fabricated by 3D printing using C&B MFH (Crown & Bridge Micro-filled Hybrid) and CAD/CAM using Upcera PMMA (Poly Methyl Methacrylate) blanks. The samples were divided, according to fabrication technique, into two main groups of 15 samples. Each main group was divided into three equal sub-groups according to the duration of thermo-mechanical cyclic loading (TMCL). The fracture resistance was then measured for all groups.
Results: Two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed that the fabrication technique (regardless of TMCL) had a statistically significant effect on mean fracture resistance (P-value <0.001, Effect size = 0.479). Thermo-mechanical cyclic loading (regardless of fabrication technique) had a statistically significant effect on mean fracture resistance (P-value <0.001, Effect size = 0.743). The interaction between the two variables had a statistically significant effect on mean fracture resistance (P-value = 0.014, Effect size = 0.299). Since the interaction between the variables is statistically significant, so the variables are dependent upon each other.
Conclusion: Fabrication technique and thermomechanical cyclic loading have a significant effect on the fracture resistance of provisional restorations.