title: Composite surfaces after finishing and polishing techniques.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of finishing and polishing techniques on surface roughness of resin-based composites (RBCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty specimens of each material were cured under Mylar strips and immersed in artificial saliva for 1 wk. Samples were tested with a profilometer to obtain baseline average surface roughness (Ra). Specimens of both RBCs were then finished and polished according to four techniques: (1) Sof-Lex disks; (2) Sof-Lex disks followed by Prisma Gloss; (3) Enhance points; (4) Enhance points followed by Prisma Gloss application. New readings of the roughness pattern were carried out and the difference of post-polishing and baseline values were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ANOVA test (alpha = 0.05) did not show differences between materials (P = 0.9393) nor interaction effects (P = 0.3094), but significant difference among the finishing/polishing techniques were detected (P = 0.0157). Tukey's test showed that the smoothest surface was obtained when the specimens were treated by Sof-Lex followed by Prisma Gloss polishing paste; and the worst results were obtained after using Enhance points alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Araraquara School of Dentistry, UNESP, São Paulo, Brazil. cturssi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Turssi
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003188:Composite Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D003775:Dental Polishing / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007101:Immersion; D008422:Materials Testing; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D012464:Saliva, Artificial / Q000737:chemistry; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013499:Surface Properties; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D012464:Saliva, Artificial; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; C025539:Lavsan; D000537:Aluminum Oxide