RESUMO
Choosing the right chemical cleanser for removable partial dentures is a challenge, because they present an acrylic and a metallic portion, which should be cleaned and not damaged. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess surface changes of cobalt chromium alloys immersed in diferente cleaners solutions: 0.05% sodium hypochlorite, 4.2% acetic acid, 0.05% sodium salicylate, sodium perborate (Corega Tabs®) and 0.2% peracetic acid. Material and Methods: One hundred and twenty circular specimens (10 mm in diameter) of two commercial available Co-Cr alloys were tested: GM 800 ® (Dentaurum) and Co-Cr® (DeguDent). The samples were randomly divided into tem experimental groups (n=10), according to the trend mark of alloy and cleaners solutions in which they were immersed, and two control groups, in which the samples of the two alloys were immersed in distilled water. Evaluations were performed through roughness measurement (rugosimeter Surftest 211, Mitutoyo), visual evaluation with stereomicroscope (Stereo Discovery 20, Carl Zeiss) and scanning electron microscope surface (JSM, 6360 SEM, JEOL), at experimental times T0 before immersions, T1 - after one immersion, and T2 - after 90 immersions. Intergroup comparison for the effect of immersion in the different cleanser agents was evaluated through ANOVA/Tukey tests (p≤0.05). The effect of the time in the immersion of each alloy was evaluated by t-pared test (p≤0.05). The two alloys were compared using the t-Student test. Results: The analysis of roughness and microscopy showed that surface changes were significantly greater in groups submitted to 0.05% sodium hypochlorite after 90 immersions (T2). When comparing the two alloys, a similar behavior of roughness was observed for the cleaning agents. However, alloy GM 800® showed significant statistical difference for roughness variations in experimental times (Δ1 and Δ2), when immersed in sodium 0.05% hypochlorite. The number of exposures of the alloys to the cleaning agents showed a negative influence when using sodium hypochlorite solution. Conclusions: It is possible to conclude that 0.05% sodium hypochlorite has caused the greatest apparent damage to alloy surface. (AU)