Evaluation of Marginal and Internal Integrity of Modified Resin-Bonded Fixed Partial Dentures: An In Vitro Study

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the microleakage of various types of resin-bonded fixed partial dentures (RBFPDs) after artificial aging. Materials and Methods: Forty models with missing first molar were fabricated using artificial resin teeth and were divided into four groups: Group A, conventional RBFPDs design; Group B, modified RBFPDs design; Group C, assembled 3-piece RBFPDs design; and Group D, assembled 3-piece RBFPDs with different occlusal rest positions. Half of the specimens underwent chewing simulation process (240,000 cycles, 50 N load, 1.7 Hz) and thermocycling (temperatures $5^{\circ}C{\sim}55^{\circ}C$, dwelling time 30 seconds) and the remaining 20 specimens didn't receive any treatment. All the specimens were immersed in 2% methylene blue solution for 24 hours to evaluate microleakage, and were sectioned at the middle part of abutment teeth. To evaluate the microleaskage, a dye penetration was calculated. Result: With artificial aging, cyclic loading and thermocycling, a 3-piece RBPFD and a 2-piece RBPFD using original tooth undercuts have significantly lower microleakge (P<0.05) compared to the conventional design of RBPFD and modified RBPFD. Conclusion: Within the limit of this experiment, the assembled RBFPDs exhibited a smaller microleakage than the conventional RBFPDs, implying that the assembled RBFPDs can be more effective for reducing the dislodgement of the RBFPDs.