Effects of water storage of E‐glass fiber reinforced denture base polymers on residual methyl methacrylate content

Abstract This study investigated the effect of water storage on residual methyl methacrylate (MMA) content of continuous E‐glass fiber (Wetrotex International) reinforced denture base polymers. Heat‐polymerization (short‐ and long‐term boiling and conventional curing cycle using Meliodent™), autopolymerization (processed in air at room temperature and in water at 60°C with the use of Meliodent Rapid Repair™), and microwave‐polymerization (3 min at 500 W with the use of Acron MC™) were employed. The residual MMA contents of 120 specimens were analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography at deflasking (control) and after water (37°C) storage of 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month. Bonferroni's pairwise comparison test was used for statistical analysis. Significant reduction were determined only in the long‐term terminal boiled heat‐polymerized test group at the end of 1 day (p < 0.01), 1 week (p < 0.05) and also 1 month of water storage (p < 0.01). Significant reduction in autopolymerized test groups started even after 1 week of water storage (p < 0.05). Microwave‐polymerized test groups did not show a significant residual MMA reduction in all time intervals (p > 0.05). The polymerization methods and cycles applied to the glass fiber reinforced denture base polymers influence both the content and the reduction of residual MMA after water storage. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 70B: 161–166, 2004