Comparative study of the surface roughness of Ormocer-based and conventional composites.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the surface roughness of two Ormocer-based resin composites before and after mechanical toothbrushing. The study compared the brands Admira and Definite with composites based on conventional monomer systems (Bis-GMA, Bis-EMA, UEDMA e TEGDMA), Z250 and A110. Eight samples of each material with 4mm in diameter and 2mm in height were prepared using a metallic mold. After 24 hours they were polished and examined with a profilometer for measurement of the initial surface roughness (Ra, mm) before mechanical toothbrushing (30,000 cycles). After toothbrushing, the samples were taken to the profilometer once again to check the final surface roughness. The results were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey test (5%). The Admira composite presented a higher mean of surface roughness before toothbrushing (0.132mm), with a statistical difference from the composite A110 (0.082mm). Definite (0.110mm) and Z250 (0.105mm) composites showed no differences between themselves or among the other composites. No statistical differences were observed after toothbrushing between the composites Definite (0.178mm), Z250 (0.187mm), Admira (0.181mm), and A110 (0.193mm). All composites showed a statistically significant increase in the surface roughness after toothbrushing.