Objective: To compare the influence of polishing and glazing on ceramic surface roughness and bacterial adhesion to the resulted surfaces.
Methods: The surface of the ceramic plates were tested and analyzed by atomic force microscope. The influence of resulted surface on Streptococcus mutans adhesion were also evaluated.
Results: The ceramic surface became much smoother after polishing with diamond paste or self-glazing. A positive correlation between surface roughness and bacterial adhesion were observed. Compared with surfaces polished with rubber-wheel, surfaces polished with diamond paste or self-glazing reduced bacterial adhesion to the surface (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Polishing with diamond paste could be an alternative to self-glazing on ceramic surface roughness and bacterial adhesion.