RESUMEN
Aim: In recent years, great advances have been made in the use of CAD/CAM to prepare fixed restorations. The marginal and internal fit of these restorations is a principal determinant for their clinical success. In addition, the nature of the oral environment affects the mechanical properties of these restorations. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of aging process under conditions that simulate the oral environment on the marginal adaptation, and, fracture resistance of crowns fabricated from polyether ether ketone (PEEK) using CAD/CAM methods. Methods: Twenty identical crown restorations were fabricated by using CAD/CAM methods to mill polyether ether ketone (PEEK) material. These crowns were produced by using a software design of an epoxy resin replica of the prepared maxillary first premolar tooth. All PEEK crowns were cemented and randomly divided into two equal groups (A, B). Each group was divided into subgroups (A1, A2 and B1, B2). Group A1 and A2 were used to measure marginal adaptation and fracture resistance, respectively, before aging, while group (B1 and B2) were measured after aging. The cemented crowns were mounted in resin molds to facilitate the sectioning process. The measurements of the marginal gap were performed after sectioning at four points using a stereomicroscope. The fracture resistance of the crowns was investigated using a universal testing machine. A statistical analysis was performed using the GraphPad Prism® software version and unpaired Student's t-test. Results: The results revealed that aging affected the marginal gap, and the fracture resistance of the PEEK crowns. While aging, negatively affected the conditions under investigation, however the least significant difference of marginal gap was found in the margin region. Conclusions: PEEK-CAD/CAM is considered as a good alternative prosthodontic material for fixed prostheses. The CAD/CAM technique used to make PEEK crown restorations in our study offers the advantages of high marginal accuracy and fracture resistance for long-term performance in the oral environment