Effect of Surface Polishing on Nano-Hardness and Elastic Modulus of Different Resin Composites after Immersion in Alcoholic Medium

Abstract

There has been a great tendency toward using resin composite in dentistry and exploring nano-hardness, elastic modulus, and effect of polishing on its mechanical properties after its artificial ageing. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of surface polishing of four different resin composites on their nano-hardness and elastic modulus. This effect was tested right after light curing of composite resin and after its artificial ageing (immersion in alcoholic medium). Nanoindentation test preparations, surface roughness, surface hardness, and scanning electron microscope were conducted across the four different resin composites: Clearfil AP-X (APX), Estelite Sigma Quick (ESQ), Beautifil II (BE2), and FiltekTM Supreme Ultra Universal restorative (FSU). We found that difference in fillers load and particle size are amongst the factors influencing hardness and modulus of elasticity. The APX is the highest in term of hardness due to fillers load and size while the ESQ is the lowest because all fillers in nano size and distributed homogenously. The significance of surface polishing of the studied resin composite restorations was highlighted. Future research may focus on exploring survival rate of polished and non-polished composite surfaces with emphasis on measuring degree of conversion and impacts of polished and non-polished surfaces on the individuals’ oral health quality of life.