Prophylometric and SEM analyses of four different finishing methods

Area of Science:

• Restorative Dentistry
• Biomaterials Science
• Dental Materials

Background:

• Dental adhesion is crucial for modern restorative dentistry, with inlays, onlays, and veneers offering tissue-saving alternatives.
• Long-term stability of dental restorations depends on optimizing the tooth-adhesive interface and treating dentinal surfaces.
• Advancements in composite resins and dental adhesives necessitate evaluating surface preparation techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the quality of occlusal cavity walls prepared for inlays using four different finishing systems.
• To compare the surface roughness and smear layer formation resulting from various burs and sonic instruments.

Main Methods:

• Cavity walls were prepared using thin and extra-thin diamond burs, 12-blade carbide burs, and a diamond-coated sonic instrument tip.
• Prophylometric analysis (Ra and RZ parameters) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to evaluate surface quality.
• Correlation between profilometric roughness values and SEM images was established.

Main Results:

• Multi-blade carbide burs produced the highest quality surfaces with the lowest roughness values.
• Thin and extra-thin diamond burs resulted in moderate surface roughness.
• The sonic instrument with a 25-micron diamond tip generated the roughest surface and a significantly higher amount of smear layer.

Conclusions:

• Multi-blade burs are recommended for preparing optimal cavity surfaces for dental inlay restorations.
• Surface treatment significantly impacts the quality of the amelo-dentinal interface, affecting adhesion.
• Sonic instruments with diamond tips may be less suitable for achieving a smooth, clean surface for optimal adhesion.