Adhesive Property of 3D-Printed PEEK Abutments: Effects of Surface Treatment and Temporary Crown Material on Shear Bond Strength

Abstract

Three-dimensionally printed polyetheretherketone (PEEK) materials are promising for fabricating customized dental abutments. This study aimed to investigate the adhesive property of a 3D-printed PEEK material. The effects of surface treatment and temporary crown materials on shear bond strength were evaluated. A total of 108 PEEK discs were 3D printed by fused-filament fabrication. Surface treatments, including sandblasting, abrasive paper grinding, and CO2 laser ablation, were applied to the PEEK discs, with the untreated specimens set as the control. Afterward, the surface topographies of each group were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, n = 1) and roughness measurements (n = 7). After preparing the bonding specimens with three temporary crown materials (Artificial teeth resin (ATR), 3M™ Filtek™ Supreme Flowable Restorative (FR), and Cool Temp NATURAL (CTN)), the shear bond strength was measured (n = 6), and the failure modes were analyzed by microscopy and SEM. The results showed that ATR exhibited a significantly higher shear bond strength compared to FR and CTN (p < 0.01), and the PEEK surfaces treated by sandblasting and abrasive paper grinding showed a statistically higher shear bond strength compared to the control (p < 0.05). For clinical application, the ATR material and subtractive surface treatments are recommended for 3D-printed PEEK abutments.