FLEXURAL STRENGTH OF PROVISIONAL RESTORATIVE MATERIALS

A provisional restorative material must be strong enough to resist fra cture during function. This study tested five autopolymerizing provisi onal resin materials under conditions that related the stresses acting on them to those acting on a fixed partial denture. The highest value s for fracture resistance were displayed by Snap poly(ethyl methacryla te) material. However, two of the 11 samples of this material displaye d markedly lower values for fracture resistance. This finding warrants further investigation, because inconsistency has clinical implication s. In decreasing order, the fracture resistance of the other materials was as follows: the poly(methyl methacrylate) materials, Caulk tempor ary bridge resin and G-C Unifast temporary resin; the composite materi al, Protemp; and the epimine material, Scutan.