Comparative effect of three polishing systems on porcelain surface roughness after orthodontic bracket debonding and composite resin removal: An atomic force microscopy

Abstract

Purpose: Porcelain polishing after orthodontic bracket debonding and resin removal is imperative to eliminate surface roughness and minimize the risk of plaque accumulation, periodontal disease, and porcelain discoloration. This study aimed to assess the effect of three polishing systems on porcelain surface roughness after orthodontic bracket debonding. Materials and Methods: Thirty porcelain blocks were divided into three groups. Surface roughness of the samples was first measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and recorded as baseline. Orthodontic brackets were bonded to blocks by composite resin. After bracket debonding, resin remnants were removed by tungsten carbide bur. The blocks were then polished with Sof-Lex discs, Meisinger, and Jota porcelain polishing kit. Surface roughness was measured again using AFM. The Shapiro–Wilk test, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey’s post hoc test were used for data analysis through SPSS version 18.0. Level of significance was set at 5%. Results: The mean change in surface roughness after polishing with Jota kit (56.6 nm) was significantly greater than that compared to Sof-Lex discs (10.7 nm) (P = 0.003) and Meisinger kit (26.6 nm) (P = 0.024). The mean change in surface roughness was not significantly different between Sof-Lex and Meisinger groups. Surface roughness significantly increased in all three groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Meisinger polishing kit and Sof-Lex discs were not significantly different in terms of the resultant surface roughness. Thus, the conventional use of Sof-Lex discs seems to be more cost-effective due to their lower cost.