Effects of sonic and micro-vibration electric toothbrushes on the surface roughness and gloss of resin composites

OBJECTIVES: Electric toothbrushes with various features are used as an alternative to manual toothbrushes to protect oral health. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different types of electric toothbrushes on the surface topography and gloss of resin composites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, microhybrid, nanohybrid and supra-nano resin composite specimens (10 × 2 mm) were prepared in a silicon mold. After polishing using diamond spirals, the initial topography (Ra, Sa) and gloss values ​​were measured. The specimens were then brushed with a conventional toothpaste for 4 and 8 min using sonic and micro-vibration electric toothbrushes. A manual toothbrush served as the control group. Following toothbrushing, the surface topography and gloss of the resin composites were evaluated. Surface roughness and gloss data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The simulated toothbrushing process significantly increased the Ra and Sa values of the resin composites (p < 0.05). The greatest increase in surface roughness was observed among the microhybrid and nanohybrid composites (p < 0.05), while the supra-nano composite with spherical fillers exhibited the lowest Ra and Sa values. Sonic and micro-vibration electric toothbrushes increased the surface roughness of resin composites more than the manual toothbrush (p < 0.05). The initial surface gloss of the composites exceeded 80 GU. Electric toothbrushes caused a significantly greater reduction in surface gloss compared with the manual toothbrush (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Electric toothbrushes increase the surface roughness and reduce the gloss of resin composites. The surface gloss and roughness of resin composites are influenced by filler particle size. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The use of electric toothbrushes increases the surface roughness of resin composites to a greater extent than manual toothbrushing, while simultaneously reducing surface gloss.