The effect of one-step and multi-step polishing systems on the surface roughness and microhardness of novel resin composites

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the surface roughness and micro-hardness of three novel resin composites containing nanoparticles after polishing with one-step and conventional multi-step polishing systems. METHODS: A total of 126 specimens (10 X 2 mm) were prepared in a metal mold using three nano-composites (Filtek Supreme XT, Ceram-X, and Grandio), 21 specimens of each resin composite for both tests (n=63 for each test). Following light curing, seven specimens from each group received no polishing treatment and served as controls for both tests. The specimens were randomly polished using PoGo and Sof-Lex systems for 30 seconds after being wet-ground with 1200-grit silicon carbide paper. The mean surface roughness of each polished specimen was determined with a profilometer. The microhardness was determined using a Vickers hardness measuring instrument with a 200-g load and 15 seconds dwell time. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and the post hoc Dunn's multiple comparison tests at a significance level of .05. RESULTS: Among all materials, the smoothest surfaces were obtained under a matrix strip (control) (P<.05). There were no statistically significant differences among polishing systems in the resin composites for surface roughness (P>.05). The lowest hardness values for the three resin composites were obtained with a matrix strip, and there was a statistically significant difference compared with other polishing systems (P<.05) whereas no statistically significant differences were observed between the polishing systems (P>.05). CONCLUSION: The current one-step polishing system appears to be as effective as multi-step systems and may be preferable for polishing resin composite restorations.