Flexural strength of polymethyl methacrylate reinforced with high-performance polymer and metal mesh.

Background: The flexural strength (FS) of a denture base material is of great concern, and many approaches have been used to strengthen the denture acrylic resins. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of high‑performance polymer (BioHPP) and metal mesh reinforcement on the FS of a heat‑cured poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) acrylic resin. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was done on 30 rectangular specimens (64 mm × 13 mm × 3 mm) of a heat‑cured PMMA resin. The specimens were divided into three groups (n = 10) to be reinforced with either metal mesh or BioHPP mesh; one group was left nonreinforced, serving as the control group. The FS of specimens was assessed through a 3‑point bending test by using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 2 mm/min. Kruskal–Wallis H and Dunn’s post hoc tests were used to compare the FS among the groups (alpha = 0.05). Results: The FS in the metal‑reinforced group was statistically significantly higher than the two other groups (P < 0.001). However, the FS of the BioHPP‑reinforced samples was not statistically significantly higher than the nonreinforced ones (P = 0.614). Conclusion: Reinforcing the PMMA with metal mesh significantly enhances its FS while BioHPP has no significant effect on the PMMA FS. Key Words: Flexural strength, polyetheretherketone, polymethyl methacrylate, reinforcement