Comparison of Different Cleaning Procedures for Decontaminating Zirconium Oxide Surface After Polishing

To evaluate the efficacy of cleaning protocols for the decontamination of organic compounds from polished zirconium oxide samples.

A total of 24 rectangular plate specimens were sintered from zirconium oxide. All samples were polished with commercially available polishers (coarse, fine, and superfine) and polishing paste. During the first step of the protocol, all specimens were cleaned with steam. Samples were then randomly assigned to one of three groups (n = 8 each): A, B, or C. In group A, no additional cleaning was performed, while specimens in group B underwent ultrasonic cleaning in distilled water. Group C specimens were cleaned in an ultrasonic bath with a special detergent solution. After washing, samples were subjected to energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination. In order to detect organic materials, the level of carbon atoms was measured.

EDX analysis revealed that samples in group A had the highest percent of carbon atoms (9.57 ± 3.67) on the surface compared to other cleaning protocols. Following the Group B cleaning protocol resulted in lower carbon levels (4.73 ± 3.56), but this difference was not significant compared to group A (P = .439). None of the specimens in group C had detectable carbon atoms (0), which implies that all wax molecules were removed (P < .05).

Total decontamination of organic compounds from a polished zirconium surface can be expected only following the C cleaning protocol; therefore, it is advised to employ an ultrasonic bath with detergent solution for cleaning procedures of zirconium abutments before delivery. Int J Prosthodont 2023;36:588-594.