Analysis of radio-opacity, surface roughness, and wettability of calcium carbonate nanoparticle-reinforced three-dimensional printed acrylic resin

Background Additive manufacturing (3D-printed) technology is a major advancement in prosthodontics, offering efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and the production of high-quality prostheses. Nanoparticles have been included in three-dimensional (3D) printed denture bases to enhance their physico-mechanical and biological characteristics. This work aims to examine the influences of adding calcium carbonate nanoparticles to 3D-printed denture base resins on their radio-opacity, wettability, and surface roughness. Material and method Ninety specimens were split into three groups: two modified groups (1.5 and 2 weight percent CaCO 3 NPs) and one control group (unmodified group). Three identical subgroups for the radiopacity test, surface roughness, and wettability test were formed from each concentration (n = 10). Additionally, the chemical composition of the 3D resin was also investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to see if the addition of calcium carbonate nanoparticles changed it, and the surface topography of 3D-printed acrylic specimens was compared using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Result Results revealed a significant improvement in the radio-opacity, wettability, and surface roughness (p < 0.05) after adding calcium carbonate nanoparticles to the 3D-printed denture base resin. Conclusion The specimens with 2% wt. of CaCO 3 NPs showed the greatest increase in radio-opacity. While specimens containing 1.5% wt. CaCO 3 NPs showed lower surface roughness and higher wettability.