Non-Thermal Atmospheric Plasma: Can it Be Taken as a Common Solution for the Surface Treatment of Dental Materials?

This study aimed to evaluate the surface roughness and wetting properties of various dental prosthetic materials after different durations of non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP) treatment. One hundred and sixty discs of titanium (Ti) (n:40), cobalt chromium (Co-Cr) (n:40), yttrium stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y-TZP) (n:40) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) (n:40) materials were machined and smoothed with silicon carbide papers. The surface roughness was evaluated in a control group and in groups with different plasma exposure times [1-3-5 s]. The average surface roughness (Ra) and contact angle (CA) measurements were recorded via an atomic force microscope (AFM) and tensiometer, respectively. Surface changes were examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Data were analyzed with two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey HSD test alpha=0.05). According to the results, the NTAP surface treatment significantly affected the roughness and wettability properties (P < 0.05). SEM images reveal that more grooves were present in the NTAP groups. With an increase in the NTAP application time, an apparent increment was observed for Ra, except in the PMMA group, and a remarkable reduction in CA was observed in all groups. It is concluded that the NTAP technology could enhance the roughening and wetting performance of various dental materials.