OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of denture base resin surface pretreatment with chemical etchants on microleakage and bond strength between silicone-based resilient liner and denture base resin. The initial bending strength of denture base resin after surface pretreatment was also examined.

METHODSThirty-six polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) denture base resin blocks (30 mm × 30 mm × 2 mm) were prepared and divided into three groups: group acetone, group methyl methy acrylate (MMA) and group control. Subsequently, a 2 mm silicone-based resilient liner was applied between every two blocks. After 5000 cycles in the thermal cycler (5 and 55°C), they were immersed in the (131) I solution for 24 hours and γ-ray counts were measured. Another 36 PMMA resin blocks (30 mm × 10 mm × 7.5 mm) were prepared. The blocks were divided into three groups and treated as mentioned above. A 3 mm silicone-based resilient liner was applied between every two blocks. After 5000 thermal cycles, tensile bond strength of the sample was measured in a universal testing machine. Another 18 PMMA resin blocks (65 mm × 10 mm × 3.3 mm) were prepared. They were divided into 3 groups and treated in the same way. After an adhesive was applied, the bending strength was measured with three-piont bending test.

RESULTSTwo experimental groups showed lower microleakage (520.0 ± 562.2 and 493.5 ± 447.9) and higher tensile bond strength [(1.5 ± 0.4) and (1.4 ± 0.5) MPa] than the group control [microleakage: (1369.5 ± 590.2); tensile bond strength: (0.9 ± 0.2) MPa, P < 0.05]. There was no statistically significant difference between group acetone and MMA in microleakage and tensile bond strength (P > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in bending strength among the three groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSTreating the denture base resin surface with acetone and MMA decreased the microleakage, increased the tensile bond strength between the two materials and did not make the initial bending strength of denture base resin decline.