Evaluation of the Effects of Hemp Fiber Addition on Fracture Strength, Acrylic Tooth Bonding and Water Absorption of Polymethyl Methacrylate

ABSTRACT Background: In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the effect of adding hemp fiber to polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), the most commonly used heat-polymerized base material for dental prosthesis, on the fracture strength of the denture, its connection to the acrylic tooth and water absorption. Methods: Three main working groups were formed in this study: PMMA (group-A) with the addition of raw hemp fiber, PMMA (group-B) with the addition of lignin and pectin removed hemp fiber, and PMMA without added fiber (group-C). Shear bond strength test was performed to evaluate how the addition of hemp fiber to PMMA affects the connection to the acrylic tooth. Three-point bending test was applied to measure the breaking strength of the base material. The effect of adding hemp fiber to PMMA on water absorption was evaluated. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the study groups in terms of shear bond strength test mean values (p=0.122). There was no statistically significant difference between the study groups in terms of three-point bending test mean values (p=0.140). In this study, it was determined that the addition of raw and chemically treated hemp fiber significantly reduced the water absorption of the acrylic base material (p