Surface Deterioration of Indirect Restorative Materials.

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Dental restorations require materials resistant to oral environment degradation.
• Understanding biodegradation effects on surface properties is crucial for material longevity.
• Resin cements and hybrid ceramics are common indirect restorative materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate in vitro and in situ biodegradation effects on resin cements and hybrid ceramic surface characteristics.
• To compare the biodegradation resistance of Maxcem Elite, NX3 Nexus, and Vita Enamic.
• To assess surface roughness, Vickers hardness, and SEM changes after biodegradation challenges.

Main Methods:

• 180 specimens of three dental materials were divided into 12 groups.
• Materials underwent in vitro (distilled water, stimulated saliva) and in situ biodegradation.
• A cariogenic challenge (20% sucrose solution) was applied 10 times daily.
• Surface roughness (Ra), Vickers hardness (VHN), and SEM analyses were conducted.
• Statistical analysis included Levene test, two-way ANOVA, and Tukey's test.

Main Results:

• In situ biodegradation caused greater surface degradation than in vitro methods for all materials.
• Vita Enamic's Vickers hardness was negatively impacted by all biodegradation methods.
• NX3 Nexus demonstrated superior performance compared to the tested self-adhesive cement.
• Surface roughness and SEM analysis revealed significant surface alterations post-biodegradation.

Conclusions:

• In situ biodegradation significantly affects the surface characteristics of indirect restorative materials.
• Material selection is critical, as biodegradation resistance varies.
• Further research is needed to develop more degradation-resistant dental biomaterials.