Polish retention of new aesthetic restorative materials over time

New aesthetic restorative materials claiming superior polish retention have recently been introduced. This study compared polish retention of eight different types of aesthetic restorative materials including ormocer and nanofill composites over a 6-month ageing period in distilled water. Eight specimens of each material were fabricated and roughened with 320 grit grinding paper using a lapping device and finished/polished with a graded abrasive disk system. Mean roughness was then determined using a surface profilometer. The specimens were then stored in distilled water at 37 degrees C and roughness measurements were repeated after 3 and 6 months of ageing. Mean surface roughness values ranged from 0.15 to 0.68 microm for immediate readings and 0.17 to 1.02 microm after ageing for 6 months. With the exception of the highly viscous glass ionomer cement, the surface polish of most materials did not deteriorate much over time. At all time intervals, composite materials based on ormocer and nanomer technology were significantly smoother than all other materials evaluated.