Dental Polymer Nanocomposites Light-Cured under Polyester Strip: Effect of Water or Ethanol/Water Solution on Surface Characteristics Studied by SEM and AFM

The purpose of this work is the study of surface characteristics of four dental light-cured dimethacrylate-based resin nanocomposites after immersion in water or an ethanol/water solution, using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Water and ethanol treatment affected the morphology and component distribution on the surface of samples. Scanning electron microscopy revealed changes on a large scale in the surface morphology of treated samples caused by immersion in water while the ethanol/water solution treatment influenced sample integrity too. It was proven that the use of atomic force microscopy in the phase-imaging mode is crucial in revealing subtle changes in component distribution on the polymer composite surface which are not accompanied by significant morphological changes.