Abstract
Objective The aim of this in vitro experiment was to see how the operator's manual skills, polishing equipment, and
abrasive materials affected the surface roughness of denture base resins.
Materials and Methods Forty polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) specimens were created and polished by using
two different polishing systems, namely hand and automatic polishing machines. Three
operators hand-polished 30 of specimens with eggshell powder and pumice, while 10
were automatically polished (n = 5). A profilometer was used to determine the average surface roughness (Ra) after
polishing. The Ra values for the specimens hand-polished were analyzed by using paired
sample testing. The Ra values for all polished specimens were analyzed by using a
one-way ANOVA. Differences between the two abrasive materials as well as the polishing
system were determined by using the Bonferonni tests (p = 0.05).
Results and Conclusion For the PMMA specimens hand-polished, there was a strong connection in the Ra values.
There were also significant variations in the Ra values across the three operators
(p < 0.001). The automated technique created a substantially smoother surface than the
traditional technique (p = 0.001). The greatest Ra values (0.20 µm) were found in specimens polished traditionally
by using pumice, whereas the lowest Ra values (0.04 µm) were found in specimens polished
mechanically with eggshell powder. The automated polishing system was the most effective
polishing method when the Ra values were connected to the level of smoothness.
Keywords
abrasive materials - eggshell powder - polishing system - pumice - surface roughness
