Effects of the Finishing Protocols and Oral Hygiene Procedures in the Microhardness and Surface Roughness of CAD/CAM Ceramics

Abstract

The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of finishing protocols and oral hygiene procedures on the surface and mechanical properties of CAD/CAM ceramics. Specimens (n = 96, (15x10x2mm) of the leucite glass-ceramic (LGC) and feldspathic ceramic (FP) received mechanical polishing or glazing. Surface roughness (Ra) and microhardness (VHN) were obtained with a profilometer and a hardness tester, respectively, before and after each oral hygiene procedure (TB: toothbrushing; PB: prophylaxis with paste and rubber cup; and BJ: prophylaxis with bicarbonate jet). ANOVA, paired t and Tukey’s tests were applied (a=0.05). For both materials, only BJ affected Ra's values when mechanical polishing was performed. Moreover, no significant variations in VHN were observed only for LGC glazed with TB. Significant Ra and VHN changes in both materials were observed with BJ. Besides, BJ exhibited similar effects to TB on VHN, regardless of the material and finishing protocol used. Changes in mechanical and surface properties varied with the finishing protocol and the oral hygiene method. In general, prophylaxis with bicarbonate jet was the most harmful method for both materials and the type of finishing protocol did not have a protective effect against changes produced by oral hygiene methods.