This study investigated the dimensional stability of denture bases influenced by packing methods, in relation to post-pressing times, in the Clássico acrylic resin which was prepared according to manufacturer recommendations. Forty maxillary wax bases were made and randomly assigned into 2 groups of 20 specimens each according to the conventional and RS system packing methods. In each method, the specimens were subdivided into immediate, 6, 12 and 24 h post-pressing times. The dough of the acrylic resin was packed in metallic flasks and processed in a water bath curing cycle at 74ºC for 9 h. After cooling at room temperature, the bases were removed from the flasks, finished and fixed on stone casts with instantaneous adhesive. The resin base-stone cast sets were transversally sectioned into 3 sections and the base-stone gap measured at 5 points in each section. The data were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey's test, which showed that the RS system had a smaller base distortion compared to conventional packing, with the exception of the 24-h post-pressing time. There was a statistically significant difference between the packing methods only in section C (posterior palatal zone). In the conventional packing method, the immediate and 6 h times demonstrated values with no statistically significant difference between them, as well as between the 12 and 24 h post-pressing times.
dimensional change; denture base; packing methods; post-pressing time
