The Effect of Methyl Methacrylate Reinforcement with Silane-treated and Untreated Glass Fibers

Previous research has shown that methyl methacrylates can be reinforced with various types of fibers and fillers. Glass-fiber reinforcement has been somewhat successful; however, surface treatment techniques are difficult to perform in the dental office. This study suggests that glass fibers can be pretreated with a silane coupling agent to obtain a chemical bond between the fibers and the acrylic resin. Transverse strength of one methyl methacrylate was tested after it was filled with either untreated or silane-treated glass fibers. Samples with untreated fibers tested weaker than samples without fibers. Samples with silane-treated fibers tested stronger, but the differences in strength were not statistically significant. The variances among samples with treated fibers were high. The procedures described in this study show promise of potentially practical techniques for strengthening provisional fixed partial dentures.