title: Evaluating surface roughness of a polyamide denture base material in comparison with poly (methyl methacrylate).
abstract: Polyamide denture base materials are more flexible than the commonly used poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). However polishability of polyamides has not been examined adequately. This study investigated the surface roughness (Ra) and clinical acceptability of samples of a polyamide denture base material and PMMA fabricated by injection moulding and traditional heat processing systems, respectively. Half of each sample surface was polished using the conventional technique (lathe with pumice followed by high shine buffs) and the other half was left unpolished. A profilometer was used to measure Ra along 3 tracks on each surface before and after polishing. Two-way ANOVA was used to compare the two surfaces of the two materials for variations in Ra values. Polyamide denture base material when polished with conventional laboratory technique became more than 7 times smoother whereas processed PMMA when polished became more than 20 times smoother using the same polishing technique. However the surface roughness of polyamide is well within the accepted norm of 0.2 µm Ra. Polyamide produces a clinically acceptable smoothness after conventional polishing by lathe.
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Dental School, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. maabuzar@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Menaka A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Abuzar
authors.forename: Suman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bellur
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Duong
authors.forename: Billy B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Priscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Palfreyman
authors.forename: Dharshan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Surendran
authors.forename: Vinh T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Tran
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003775:Dental Polishing; D003819:Denture Bases; D008422:Materials Testing; D009757:Nylons; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D009757:Nylons; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate