Variation of the modulus of elasticity of aligner foil sheet materials due to thermoforming

OBJECTIVE: Investigate and compare the mechanical properties of different aligner materials before and after deep drawing and determine differences in the mechanical properties after thermoforming. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four aligner film sheets from three manufacturers (Duran Plus® [Scheu Dental, Iserlohn, Germany]; Zendura® [ClearCorrect, Bay Materials LLC, Fremont, CA, USA]; Essix ACE® and Essix® PLUS™ [Dentsply Sirona Deutschland, Bensheim, Germany]) were tested in 3‑point bending with support distances of 8, 16, and 24 mm. Dimension of the specimens was 10 × 50 mm(2). Two groups each were tested: (1) 10 specimens were investigated in the as-received state (before thermoforming), (2) 10 specimens were deep drawn on a master plate with cuboids of the dimension 10 × 10 × 50 mm(3). Then, specimens were cut out of the upper side and lateral walls and were measured in 3‑point bending. Forces and reduction in thickness were measured and corrected theoretical forces of drawn sheets after thickness reduction as well as Young’s modulus were calculated. RESULTS: At a support distance of 8 mm and a displacement of 0.25 mm Essix® PLUS™, having the highest thickness in untreated state, showed highest forces of 28.2 N, followed by Duran Plus® (27.3 N), Essix ACE® (21.0 N) and Zendura® (19.7 N). Similar results were registered for the other distances (16, 24 mm). Thermoforming drastically reduced thickness and forces in the bending tests. Forces decreased to around 10% or less for specimens cut from the lateral walls. Young’s modulus decreased significantly for deep drawn foil sheets, especially for Essix® PLUS™. CONCLUSIONS: Three-point bending is an appropriate method to compare different foil sheet materials. Young’s modulus is significantly affected by thermoforming. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00056-021-00327-w) contains supplementary information, which is available to authorized users.