Effect of erosion and methods for its control on the surface roughness of composite resin

Objective: This study evaluated the surface roughness of a nanofilled composite resin submitted to different degrees of erosion and methods of control.Methods: 120 cylindrical composite specimens (6×1.5 mm) were randomly divided into four groups, according to the surface protection against the erosive challenge [negative control, topical application of fluoride, glass-ionomer sealant, resin sealant]. After the application of the respective method, specimens were divided into three subgroups (n=10): a) absence of erosive challenge; b) 9 cycles of DES-RE; c) 18 cycles of DES-RE. Surface roughness (Ra, μm) was recorded and statistically analyzed (2-way Anova/Tukey).Results: The glass-ionomer sealant exhibited less rough surfaces under all the conditions. However, the average roughness was significantly higher after 18 DES-RE cycles.Conclusion: Despite the potential shown by glass-ionomer sealant, it was concluded that no material prevented an increase in surface roughness of the nanofilled composite after an intense erosive challenge.