Compressive Strength of Temporary Crowns Made from Default design in Two Types of Software

Statement of the Problem:

 Various default values in each software can eventually lead to different crown thicknesses and affect their compressive strength.

This study aimed to compare the compressive strength of temporary crowns made with the milling machine, designed in Exocad and 3Shape Dental System software.

In this in vitro study, 90 temporary crowns were made and evaluated based on each software settings. For this purpose, a sound premolar was first scanned as a pre-operative model by 3Shape laboratory scanner. The standard tooth preparation and scanning were performed, and then the temporary crown files (designed by each software) were transferred to the Imes-icore 350i milling machine. A total of 90 temporary crowns (45 based on the file of each software) were made using poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) vita cad-temp block. The value of compressive force displayed on the monitor was recorded at the first crack and the ultimate failure of the crown.

The first crack and the ultimate strength of crowns designed with the Exocad software was 903.5±96N and 1490±139.3N and for crowns designed with 3Shape Dental System software was 1060.4±160.2N and 1691.1±73.9N, respectively. The amount of compressive strength of temporary crowns made with 3Shape Dental System was significantly higher than those made with Exocad software and this difference was statistically significant(p= 0.000).

The compressive strength of temporary dental crowns made by both softwares is in a clinically acceptable range, but considering that the average compressive strength in the 3Shape Dental System group was slightly higher than of the other group, it is preferable to design and fabricate with 3Shape Dental System software to increase the compressive strength of these crowns.