Effectiveness of Cleansing Methods on Saliva Contaminated Zirconia: A Comparative Study Using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy

Aim of the study: The study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of various decontamination protocols in removing contamination of saliva from the surface of zirconia and enhancing their cleanliness to enhance optimal bonding. Material and Method: Fifty-six multilayer (ML) monolithic high translucent zirconia discs (DD cubeX2 ® ML;10 mm × 2 mm) were fabricated through milling and sintered in according to the manufacturer's guidelines. The specimens were then air-abraded with 50 µm aluminium oxide particles after being polished with silicon carbide abrasive paper. The samples were randomly assigned to 5 groups (n = 10) based on the cleaning technique used after being contaminated with human saliva: water rinsing, phosphoric acid application alone, phosphoric acid mixed with ethanol, and Ivoclean treatment. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) were used to examine the surface morphology and elemental composition in order to evaluate the cleaning effectiveness of each treatment. Results: EDS analysis showed significant reductions in carbon (C%) and increases in zirconium (Zr%) with all cleaning methods. The HsPO4 + Ethanol treatment was the most effective, reducing carbon to (8.52±0.27%) and increasing zirconium to (66.88±1.15%). One-way ANOVA confirmed significant differences in C% and Zr% (p < 0.001), with post-hoc tests showing significant improvements in surface composition, enhancing zirconia's bonding potential. Conclusion: Phosphoric acid combined with ethanol was the most effective in decontamination of zirconia surfaces, Ivoclean also performed well, though small zirconia agglomerates were noted. Water rinsing demonstrated the lowest effective. Effective cleaning is crucial for optimal surface preparation and reliable bonding.