Tevfik YAVUZ, Betül YILMAZ EVMEK, Erhan DİLBER
Meandros Medical and Dental Journal - 2026;27(2):184-192
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different surface finishing protocols on the surface roughness of three CAD/CAM restorative materials. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 specimens (1.5 +/- 0.05 mm; n = 10 per subgroup) were prepared from CAD/CAM blocks [Brilliant Crios (BC), Cerasmart (CS), and Vita Enamic (VE) ]. Three surface finishing protocols were applied: glazing (G), mechanical polishing (MP), and control (C). One randomly selected specimen per subgroup was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, x1000) to evaluate surface topography. Surface roughness (Ra) values were measured with a contact profilometer. Data normality was tested using the Shapiro-Wilk test. The effects of material type and surface treatment, as well as their interaction, were analyzed using a generalized linear model, followed by Bonferroni post hoc comparisons. Results: Surface roughness significantly differed among materials and surface protocols (p < 0.001). The highest mean Ra was observed in the control group of the hybrid ceramic (VE-C), whereas the lowest values were recorded in its glaze subgroup (VE-G). Glazing reduced surface roughness in both the hybrid ceramic (VE) and resin nanoceramic (CS) groups without a significant difference between them. In the composite resin group (BC), both glazing and mechanical polishing produced similarly low roughness values. Conclusion: Glazing and mechanical polishing were effective in reducing the surface roughness of CAD/CAM restorative materials, with glazing exhibiting the most pronounced smoothing effect on hybrid ceramic and resin nano-ceramic surfaces.
