Does Sterilization Affect the Performance of Single-Step Resin Composite Polishers?

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Restorative Dentistry

Background:

• Single-step polishers are crucial for achieving optimal surface finish on resin composites.
• Sterilization protocols are standard practice for dental instruments, but their impact on polisher efficacy is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of repeated sterilization cycles on the performance of four single-step resin composite polishers.
• To assess changes in surface roughness and gloss after sterilization.

Main Methods:

• Four types of single-step polishers were used to finish a nanohybrid resin composite.
• Surface roughness (Sa, Sz, Sdr, Sci) and gloss were measured before and after four sterilization cycles.
• Microscopic inspection was performed before each use.

Main Results:

• Initial sterilization generally improved polisher performance (surface roughness and gloss) for most tested systems.
• Performance, particularly surface roughness, declined significantly after the fourth sterilization cycle for all polishers.
• One polisher showed inconsistent performance, while another demonstrated a trend of decline after the fourth sterilization.

Conclusions:

• All tested single-step polishers initially benefit from sterilization, but prolonged use leads to performance degradation.
• Despite deterioration, the polishers maintain clinically acceptable performance levels even after multiple sterilization cycles.
• Findings suggest that while sterilization impacts polisher longevity, they remain effective for practical clinical application over an extended period.