Study of the effect of surface treatment on the long term effectiveness of tissue conditioner.

Adequate softness and surface integrity are the two most important clinical features of a tissue conditioner. This study was designed to examine the effect of coating on the surface integrity and softness of a tissue conditioner at various time intervals. A total of 72 specimens were prepared and divided into two equal groups. Group I (control group) specimens were lined with tissue conditioner and left uncoated. Group II (test group) specimens were lined with tissue conditioner and coated with a surface conditioning agent. The specimens were then examined for softness with a durometer and for surface integrity with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) at the baseline, and after 1, 2 and 3 weeks. At 3 weeks, softness on the American Standards for Testing Materials (ASTM) scale showed a significant (P < 0.001) difference between the control and test groups. Qualitatively, SEM analysis indicated that surface integrity in the control group had deteriorated by the end of the first week, whereas that in the test group remained intact until the end of the third week. Within the limitations of this study, our data suggest that application of a coating can significantly reduce the loss of softness and surface integrity of a tissue conditioner.