OBJECTIVE: To conduct a laboratory evaluation of the surface roughness of self-curing acrylic resin after different curing and polishing techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty specimens were separated into four groups. The conventional curing process was followed by a second curing cycle in a microwave oven to decrease the residual monomer levels in two groups. After curing, two groups received manual polishing and the other groups underwent chemical polishing at 70 degrees C for 10 seconds. Roughness analysis was performed in a mechanical and laser profilometer. Analyses by Bartlett, Shapiro-Wilk, and Dunnett tests were used to compare whether the mean of the response variable was the same in all groups. RESULTS: The results suggested greater influences from the polishing method than the curing method and showed that the chemical polishing method yielded the highest surface roughness. CONCLUSIONS: The average pattern of roughness of the self-curing acrylic resin was statistically the same in the groups with different curing methods. However, chemical polishing increases the average pattern of roughness.
OBJECTIVE: To conduct a laboratory evaluation of the surface roughness of self-curing acrylic resin after different curing and polishing techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty specimens were separated into four groups. The conventional curing process was followed by a second curing cycle in a microwave oven to decrease the residual monomer levels in two groups. After curing, two groups received manual polishing and the other groups underwent chemical polishing at 70 degrees C for 10 seconds. Roughness analysis was performed in a mechanical and laser profilometer. Analyses by Bartlett, Shapiro-Wilk, and Dunnett tests were used to compare whether the mean of the response variable was the same in all groups. RESULTS: The results suggested greater influences from the polishing method than the curing method and showed that the chemical polishing method yielded the highest surface roughness. CONCLUSIONS: The average pattern of roughness of the self-curing acrylic resin was statistically the same in the groups with different curing methods. However, chemical polishing increases the average pattern of roughness.