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Reduced-step composite polishing systems - a new gold standard?
Thomas Dennis1, Timothy Zoltie2, David Wood3
1Department of Restorative Dentistry, Leeds Dental Institute, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
Two-step composite polishing systems offer superior surface gloss compared to traditional multi-step methods. This advancement in dental polishing can significantly reduce chair-time for clinicians.
Area of Science:
- Dental Materials Science
- Surface Engineering
- Restorative Dentistry
Background:
- Dental composites require effective polishing to achieve optimal aesthetics and surface integrity.
- Conventional multi-step polishing techniques are time-consuming and may not always yield the best results.
- Evaluating reduced-step polishing systems is crucial for improving clinical efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the surface gloss and roughness of three contemporary composites using reduced-step versus conventional multi-step polishing systems.
- To determine the effectiveness of different polishing systems on composite surface characteristics.
- To assess the correlation between surface roughness and surface gloss.
Main Methods:
- Three composite materials (Essentia, BRILLIANT EverGlow, Filtek Universal) were fabricated into discs.
- Five polishing systems, including a multi-step (P1), two two-step (P2, P3), and two one-step (P4, P5) systems, were applied.
- Surface gloss and roughness (Sa) were measured using a glossmeter and profilometer, respectively.
- Scanning electron microscopy and macro-lens photography were used for visual analysis.
Main Results:
- Two-step systems (P2, P3) produced significantly higher surface gloss across all composite groups compared to the multi-step system (P1).
- BRILLIANT EverGlow (EG) composite exhibited the lowest surface roughness (Sa) with P3 and highest gloss with P2.
- One-step system P5 resulted in the highest surface roughness and lowest gloss for all composites.
- A strong positive correlation (r=0.73) was observed between surface roughness (Sa) and gloss.
Conclusions:
- Reduced-step composite polishing systems, particularly two-step methods, can achieve superior surface gloss compared to conventional multi-step techniques.
- Surface roughness and surface gloss are highly correlated, indicating that smoother surfaces yield higher gloss.
- These findings suggest potential for reduced clinical chair-time and faster polishing protocols in restorative dentistry.
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