Investigation of the Effect of Waterpik Use on the Surface Properties of Porcelain and Zirconium Materials

Abstract Statement of Problem The surface properties of materials affect many parameters, including aesthetic, mechanical, and physical properties. Oral hygiene practices are among the factors that change surface properties over time. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Waterpik usage at two different pressure levels on the surface roughness and surface hardness of two different materials frequently chosen in current prosthetic restorations. Materials and Methods The study used two types of materials: monolithic zirconium and feldspathic porcelain with a metal cr-co substructure. The materials were shaped into rectangular prisms with dimensions of 10x10x2 mm. It was calculated using the G* power program that 10 samples from each material were needed for both 5 Psi and 10 Psi pressure values. The roughness (Ra) and hardness (Hv) values of the material surfaces were recorded after Waterpik applications. Kurtosis and skewness tests were conducted to examine the normal distribution of continuous variables. The ANOVA test was used to compare surface roughness and hardness values between groups when the normal distribution condition was met, and the Kruskal Wallis test was used when it was not. Post-hoc tests were performed using Levene's for independent groups and paired t-test for dependent groups after the ANOVA test. The level of statistical significance was set at P <0.05. Results Both feldspathic porcelain and monolithic zirconium materials showed a significant increase in surface roughness values for both 5 Psi and 10 Psi pressure values (P<0.05). When surface hardness properties were examined, a significant decrease was observed in both feldspathic porcelain and monolithic zirconium samples at both 5 Psi and 10 Psi pressure values (P<0.05). Conclusion Feldspathic porcelain and monolithic zirconium restorations produced under appropriate conditions do not have their clinical success affected by the change in surface properties observed when cleaned daily with a Waterpik under 5 Psi and 10 Psi pressure. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The changes observed in the surface properties of feldspathic porcelain and monolithic zirconium restorations, which have been manufactured under appropriate conditions and cleaned daily with an oral irrigator at 5 Psi and 10 Psi pressure, do not affect the clinical success of the material.