Comparison of three systems for the polishing of an ultra-low fusing dental porcelain

With the introduction of newer dental porcelains, there exists the need to evaluate different porcelain polishing systems available on the market. The purpose of this study was to compare the surface roughness produced by 3 different porcelain polishing systems on an ultra-low fusing porcelain. Sixty-three ultra-low fusing porcelain (Finesse) discs (10 × 2 mm) were fabricated and randomly divided into 3 groups (n=21). Both sides of each disc were abraded with a medium-grit diamond bur. One side was autoglazed and was considered a control. The other side was polished until the surface appeared shiny to the naked eye using 1 of 3 porcelain polishing kits (Axis Dental, Jelenko, and Brasseler systems). The surface of each disc was evaluated quantitatively with surface profilometry and qualitatively using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A mean roughness profile (Ra) value was determined for each side of each specimen to describe the overall roughness of the surface. The Ra mean difference for each specimen was determined by subtracting the mean experimental readings (polished surface) from the mean control readings (glazed surface) and was used for the statistical analysis. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance followed by a Tukey multiple comparison test (α=.05). Representative specimens from each group were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The Axis porcelain polishing system produced a smoother surface than the Brasseler or Jelenko systems (0.586 ± 0.256, 0.306 ± 0.238, and 0.277 ± 0.230, respectively). No significant difference was found between the Jelenko and Brasseler porcelain polishing kits (F=10.6, P<.001). The images obtained through SEM were evaluated and found to be consistent with the profilometer readings. Within the limitations of this study, all 3 porcelain polishing systems produced a surface smoother than the autoglazed surface of Finesse. The Axis system provided a significantly smoother surface compared to the Brasseler and Jelenko polishing systems.