Impact of erosive and abrasive wear on the surface characteristics of hybrid ceramic-polymer dental materials.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the surface characteristics of hybrid ceramic-polymer materials before and after exposure to erosive and abrasive media. METHODS: Samples were prepared from Vita Enamic (VE), Cerasmart (CS), VarseoSmile Crown plus (VSC), and VarseoSmile Temp (VST). Surface roughness (SR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and surface hardness (SH) analyses were performed before (T0) and after exposing the samples to gastric juice (GJ), toothbrushing (TB), or both (GJ TB) for a simulated period of one (T1) or two years (T2). RESULTS: At T0, VSC and VST showed higher average (Ra) and maximum (Rz) roughness values, more homogeneous surfaces in SEM micrographs, and lower Vickers numbers (HV) than VE and CS. At T1 and T2, samples showed higher Ra values, greater surface damage on SEM micrographs, and reduced HV. The most pronounced changes were evident for GJ TB samples, followed in order by GJ (within VE and CS) and TB samples (within VSC and VST). CONCLUSION: VE and CS showed initially lower SR and higher SH, lower resistance to GJ, and higher resistance to TB than VSC and VST, which would be essential when fabricating restorations for patients who are particularly susceptible to dental erosion and abrasion.