title: Transverse strength and fatigue of denture acrylic-glass fiber composite.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this experiment were: 1) to test the effect of a high concentration of continuous glass fibers on the transverse strength of test specimens made of heat-cured acrylic resin; and 2) to determine the fatigue weakening of both unreinforced and continuous glass fiber-reinforced specimens of heat-cured acrylic resin shaped into upper complete dentures.
  
  
  METHODS
  A three-point loading test was used to determine the transverse strength of test specimens (n = 30 per group). The fatigue test was the constant deflection test (n = 10 per group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results revealed that, compared to unreinforced specimens, continuous glass fibers at a concentration of 58 wt% enhanced the transverse strength of the test specimens up to 146% (p < 0.001) and increased the fatigue resistance (p < 0.001) during 5 x 10(5) loading cycles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that by incorporating glass fibers into PMMA denture bases, the strength of the denture can be increased.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetics and Stomatognathic Physiology, University of Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Vallittu
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Lassila
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lappalainen
mesh_terms: D003188:Composite Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis; D003819:Denture Bases; D005898:Glass; D008422:Materials Testing; D008768:Methylmethacrylates / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; C009753:fiberglass