Effect of toothbrushing, chemical disinfection and thermocycling procedures on the surface microroughness of denture base acrylic resins

Objective: This study verified the surface microroughness of denture acrylic resins submitted to toothbrushing, chemical disinfection and thermocycling procedures. Material and methods: Samples were prepared according to conventional, microwaved and boiled resins and submitted to microroughness measurements before and after procedures using a profilometer (Ra). Data were subjected to ANOVA and Tukey's test (5%). Results: Before thermocycling, a difference was found among treatments for microwaved and boiled resins, with greater values for toothbrushing and lower values for Efferdent and hypochlorite; control was intermediate. Differences among resins were observed for treatments, with higher values for boiled resin and lower values for conventional and microwaved resins. After thermocycling, differences were found for microwaved resin, with a higher value for toothbrushing and a lower value for Efferdent and hypochlorite; control was intermediate. Tooth-brushed boiled resin presented higher values and hypochlorite lower values; control and Efferdent were intermediates. Differences among resins were seen for treatments, with higher values for boiled resin and lower values for conventional and microwaved resins. Boiled resin presented differences for toothbrushing and hypochlorite, before and after thermocycling procedures were compared. Conclusions: For microwaved and boiled resins, toothbrushing and chemical disinfection promoted different levels of surface microroughness when associated or not with thermocycling.