Surface morphology of silicone soft relining material after mechanical and chemical cleaning

The objective was to investigate the influence of chemical and mechanical cleaning on the surface morphology of a silicone soft relining material.

Three plate-shaped specimens were prepared for each group (Control, Hard and Soft) by laminating a 1.5-mm-thick silicone soft relining material. The Control group specimens were stored in water, and the Hard and Soft group specimens were cleaned with hard and soft bristle denture brushes, respectively. Abrasion testing with a toothbrush and immersion testing with an enzyme-containing peroxide denture cleanser were performed, simulating a period of approximately 4 months. The arithmetic mean roughness (Sa) and maximum height of the cross-section (Sz) were measured before and after abrasion and immersion testing.

Sa was 4.9±0.9, 22.1±4.2 and 44.2±4.0μm in the Control, Soft and Hard groups, respectively. Sz was 257.5±31.7, 392.0±23.8 and 452.2±41.9μm in the Control, Soft and Hard groups, respectively. After abrasion testing, Sa and Sz differed significantly between the Soft and Control groups and between the Hard and Control groups. Sa was 2.2±1.2μm before and after immersion, and Sz was 142.1±81.4μm before and after immersion. No significant difference was noted in either Sa or Sz in the Control specimens before or after immersion.

Surfaces cleaned using a soft bristle brush were less likely to roughen than those cleaned with a hard bristle brush under the conditions of this study. Additionally, chemical cleaning using the enzyme+neutral peroxide denture cleanser did not roughen the surface of the silicone soft relining material.