Effect of Air-Polishing on 3D Surface Integrity of Composite Dental Restorations - Comparison of Three Different Powders with Reduced Abrasiveness

Sep 30, 2026

Composite restorations face prophylactic procedures that can damage the surface, causing loss of material and roughening. This study compared air-polishing using three reduced-abrasiveness powders on microhybrid resin composite fillings. Forty-eight specimens were scanned in 3D, air-polished with sodium bicarbonate (40 µm), glycine (25 µm), or erythritol (14 µm), then rescanned and analyzed. All groups showed material loss; mean volume loss was higher with sodium bicarbonate and erythritol than with glycine. SEM particle characterization supported selecting glycine to minimize abrasion.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Background: periodontal biofilm and plaque removal

Air-polishing risks and surface alteration

Reduced-abrasiveness powder options

Study rationale and objective

Article Effect of Air-Polishing on 3D Surface Integrity of Composite Dental Restorations—Comparison of Three Different Powders with Reduced Abrasiveness Joanna Janiszewska-Olszowska 1, Agnieszka Dro´zdzik 2, Katarzyna Tandecka 3, * and Katarzyna Grocholewicz 1 Academic Editor: YunhaiMa Received: 26 November 2025 Revised: 16 December 2025 Accepted: 23 December 2025 Published: 31 December 2025 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. 1 Department of Interdisciplinary Dentistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, al. Powstancow Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland; [jjo@pum.edu.pl](jjo@pum.edu.pl) (J.J.-O.); [katarzyna.grocholewicz@pum.edu.pl](katarzyna.grocholewicz@pum.edu.pl) (K.G.) 2 Laboratory of Preclinical Peridontology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, al. Powstancow Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland; [agnieszka.drozdzik@pum.edu.pl](agnieszka.drozdzik@pum.edu.pl) 3 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Energy, Koszalin University of Technology, ul. Raclawicka 15-17, 75-620 Koszalin, Poland * Correspondence: [katarzyna.tandecka@tu.koszalin.pl](katarzyna.tandecka@tu.koszalin.pl) Abstract Composite restorations are inevitably exposed to prophylactic procedures associated with a risk of surface damage (loss of substance and roughening) . The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of air-polishing with three different powders of reduced abrasiveness on composite fillings. Forty-eight specimens of microhybrid light-cure composite were randomly divided into three groups (n = 16 each), scanned in 3D and air-polished with the following: sodium bicarbonate (40 µm), glycine (25 µm) and erythritol (14 µm), respectively. Then, the specimens were rescanned and the data were processed in specialized 3D analysis software. Loss of composite material was visible in all specimens. The estimated mean composite volume loss was higher for sodium bicarbonate and erythritol (0.09 mm3 and 0.08 mm3, respectively) than for glycine (0.05 mm3 ) . No statistically significant differences were found between sodium bicarbonate and erythritol. Powder particles were additionally characterized from SEM images (N = 1600 per powder), using equivalent circular diameter (ECD) and shape descriptors (aspect ratio and circularity) . Therefore, glycine powder should be preferred when the primary goal is minimizing composite abrasion. When higher composite material removal is acceptable, erythritol and sodium bicarbonate maybe considered to be interchangeable under the present conditions due to their comparable abrasive effect. Keywords: air-polishing; surface integrity; sodium bicarbonate; glycine; erythritol; composite 1. Introduction Gingivitis and periodontitis, next to caries, are the most widespread oral diseases initiated by pathogenic microorganisms organized as biofilm. Inflammation in marginal periodontium remains closely related to biofilm that accumulates on teeth and restorations adjacent to the gingival margin. Although genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of periodontal diseases, mechanical biofilm removal constitutes the golden standard for their prevention and treatment effects maintenance [1–3] . Two important elements of this standard involve self-performed daily toothbrushing and professional mechanical plaque removal [2,3] . Besides conventional methods of biofilm removal, such as hand periodontal instruments, ultrasonic scalers and rubber-cup polishing, alternative procedures based on a slurry of abrasive powder, pressurized air and water (air-polishing) can be applied [4–6] . Despite being an effective method, an air-polishing performed periodically with abrasive powders may result in tooth substance loss [7–10], as well as restoration wear and surface alteration [11–13] . The potential da

FAQs

How did sodium bicarbonate and erythritol compare regarding abrasive effect?

No statistically significant differences were found between sodium bicarbonate and erythritol, making their abrasive effects comparable under the study conditions.

Sep 30, 2026

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