Introduction: Metal-free dental prosthetics, which are primarily composed of zirconia
ceramic, are becoming increasingly popular in dentistry for aesthetic and biological reasons.
However, despite their popularity, they are prone to staining. Surface roughness is very
important for the level of discoloration. Roughness is the deviation of the actual surface from
its ideal geometric shape. However, no surface is completely smooth, as every surface has
its own irregularities. Roughness determines the condition of the treated surface. The most
accurate devices for measuring color are spectrophotometers. Purpose: The purpose of this
thesis is to determine the effect of surface treatment on its discoloration. Methods: To write
this thesis, we first reviewed the scientific literature found in the PubMed and ScienceDirect
databases. We then conducted an experiment to test the color stability of differently treated
zirconia ceramic surfaces. We made zirconia ceramic samples and divided them into three
groups: untreated samples, glazed samples, and glazed-polished samples. We exposed them
to saliva, coffee, wine, tea, and juice. The experiment lasted 28 days. During this time, the
samples were exposed only to saliva for the first two days, then to various liquids for
nineteen days, and finally to hydrogen peroxide for seven days. We measured the color using
a colorimeter. Results: The results showed that the color change depends on both the
treatment and the type of liquid. Among untreated samples, tea had the greatest effect
(ΔE=8.01±1.91); among glazed samples, juice had the greatest effect (ΔE=2.08±0.21); and
among glazed and polished samples, coffee had the greatest effect (ΔE=2.93±3.5). The
glazed surface proved to be the most color-stable. Discussion and Conclusion: The results
of our experiment are consistent with most studies. According to the literature, the roughest
surface is the untreated one, while the least rough are the glazed and polished surfaces. We
found that the untreated/roughest surface stained the most (ΔE = 8.01 ± 1.91). The glazed
surface stained the least (ΔE = 2.08 ± 0.21). Through this experiment, we demonstrated the
importance of surface treatment in reducing staining.
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