Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) of Temporary Crown and Bridge Materials

Objectives:

To compare surface topography of 4 cured, unpolished temporary crown and bridge materials

using AFM imaging.

Methods:

Tapping mode AFM scans of fully cured, unpolished material samples were performed.

(Digital Instruments Dimension 50000 SPM) using Olympus OTESP single crystal silicon levers

with a force constant of ~40N/M as a probe. Setpoint: 75% of original free space amplitude (2.0V).

Image scansize: 10x10 um.Vertical scale :+/-750nm. Roughness values were measured using

Veeco Vision software (version 3.5)

Results:

Average Roughness (Ra in nm) was: New Protemp: 22,96; Luxatemp Fluorescence: 237,9; Structur

Premium: 131,8 ; Kanitemp Royal: 154,93.

RMS Roughness values (Rq in nm) were as follows: New Protemp: 29,9; Luxatemp

Fluorescence: 301,8; Structur Premium: 165,5 ; Kanitemp Royal: 208,5.

Average maximum height values were (Rz in um) New Protemp: 0,26; Luxatemp Fluorescence: 1,77;

Structur Premium: 1,2 ; Kanitemp Royal: 2,03.

Conclusions:

Unpolished new Protemp is significantly smoother than the other materials tested, making an extra

polishing step unnecessary.