Finishing of MGC Dicor material

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Ceramic Restorations

Background:

• CAD/CAM milled dental restorations, such as inlays and onlays, often require post-milling surface finishing.
• The occlusal surfaces of restorations fabricated with the CEREC system are initially flat, necessitating surface texturing for optimal function and aesthetics.
• Machinable glass-ceramics, like Dicor MGC, are commonly used in chairside CAD/CAM systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of different finishing techniques on the surface smoothness of Dicor MGC.
• To compare the relative surface smoothness achieved by six distinct finishing methods applied to milled glass-ceramic materials.

Main Methods:

• Six different finishing methods were applied to Dicor MGC samples.
• Laser specular reflectance was employed as the primary technique to quantitatively assess surface smoothness.
• The study focused on the occlusal surfaces of milled inlays and onlays.

Main Results:

• All six investigated finishing methods yielded comparable levels of surface smoothness on the Dicor MGC material.
• Laser specular reflectance measurements indicated no significant difference in surface texture among the tested finishing protocols.
• The inherent flatness of CEREC-milled surfaces was addressed by these finishing techniques.

Conclusions:

• The choice of rotary instrument finishing method does not significantly impact the final surface smoothness of Dicor MGC when milled by the CEREC system.
• Achieving a uniformly smooth occlusal surface is feasible with various finishing techniques for these dental restorations.
• Further research could explore the long-term wear characteristics and clinical performance related to these surface finishes.