Biofilm (bacterial plaque) accumulation on the surface of restorative materials favors the occurrence of secondary caries and periodontal inflammation. Surface characteristics of restorations can be modified by finishing and/or polishing procedures and may affect bacterial adhesion. The aim of this systematic review was to characterize how finishing and polishing methods affect the surface properties of different restorative materials with regard to bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. Searches were carried out in MEDLINE-PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane-CENTRAL, and LILACS databases. From 2882 potential articles found in the initial searches, only 18 met the eligible criteria and were included in this review (12 with in vitro design, four with in situ design, and two clinical trials). However, they presented high heterogeneity regarding materials considered and methodology for evaluating the desired outcome. Risk bias analysis showed that only two studies presented low risk (whereas 11 showed high and five showed medium risk). Thus, only descriptive analyses considering study design, materials, intervention (finishing/polishing), surface characteristics (roughness and surface free energy), and protocol for biofilm formation (bacterial adhesion) could be performed. Some conclusions could be drawn: the impact of roughness on bacterial adhesion seems to be related not to a roughness threshold (as previously believed) but rather to a range, the range of surface roughness among different polishing methods is wide and material dependent, finishing invariably creates a rougher surface and should always be followed by a polishing method, each dental material requires its own treatment modality to obtain and maintain as smooth a surface as possible, and in vitro designs do not seem to be powerful tools to draw relevant conclusions, so in vivo and in situ designs become strongly recommended.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of grinding with diamond burs and low-temperature aging on the material surface characteristics and bacteria adhesion on a yttrium-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline (Y-TZP) surface. Y-TZP specimens were made from presintered blocks, sintered as recommended by the manufacturer, and assigned into six groups according to two factors-grinding (three levels: as sintered, grinding with extra-fine diamond bur [25-μm grit], and grinding with coarse diamond bur [181-μm grit]) and hydrothermal aging-to promote low-temperature degradation (two levels: presence/absence). Phase transformation (X-ray diffractometer), surface roughness, micromorphological patterns (atomic force microscopy), and contact angle (goniometer) were analyzed. Bacterial adhesion (colony-forming units [CFU]/biofilm) was quantified using an in vitro polymicrobial biofilm model. Both the surface treatment and hydrothermal aging promoted an increase in m-phase content. Roughness values increased as a function of increasing bur grit sizes. Grinding with a coarse diamond bur resulted in significantly lower values of contact angle (p<0.05) when compared with the extra-fine and control groups, while there were no differences (p<0.05) after hydrothermal aging simulation. The CFU/biofilm results showed that neither the surface treatment nor hydrothermal aging simulation significantly affected the bacteria adherence (p>0.05). Grinding with diamond burs and hydrothermal aging modified the Y-TZP surface properties; however, these properties had no effect on the amount of bacteria adhesion on the material surface.

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