Surface Characterization of Monolithic Zirconia Following Treatment with Different Polishing Techniques

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different polishing techniques on the topographical features and phase transformation of monolithic zirconia. Four brands of zirconia were ground and polished using one of four systems. All zirconia specimens were ground with a fine-grit diamond bur (GB) prior to polishing procedures. The surface roughness and phase transition (XRD) were evaluated, and surface characterizations (SEM and XPS) were performed. The highest roughness was obtained with the Tob system. The strongest diffraction peak in the obtained XRD patterns was at 2θ=30.246°. No monoclinic phase change was found in any group. The XPS analysis showed that the atomic percentages of yttrium in the specimens of Cercon before and after polishing were the highest of any sample. All the polishing systems tested may not adversely affect the phase transformation of monolithic zirconia. The Tob system resulted in the highest roughness. The XPS analysis showed that grinding and polishing had some effects on the properties of zirconia from a microscopic point of view.