Objective: To evaluate the effect of coffee thermocycling (CTC) on the surface roughness (R_a) and stainability of denture base materials with different chemical compositions fabricated by using additive and subtractive manufacturing.

Materials and methods: Disk-shaped specimens were additively (FREEPRINT denture, AM) or subtractively (G-CAM, GSM and M-PM, SM) fabricated from three pink denture base materials in different chemical compositions (n = 10). R_awas measured before and after polishing, while color coordinates were measured after polishing. Specimens were subjected to CTC (5000 cycles) and measurements were repeated. Color differences (ΔE₀₀) after CTC were calculated. R_aamong different time intervals within materials was evaluated by using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), while 1-way ANOVA was used to evaluate the R_aof different materials within each time interval and the ΔE₀₀values. Color coordinates within each material were compared by using paired samples t-tests (α = 0.05).

Results: R_abefore polishing was the highest for all materials (p < 0.001), while SM had its lowest R_aafter CTC and AM had its lowest R_aafter polishing (p ≤ 0.008). Before polishing, AM had the highest R_aamong the materials (p < 0.001). After polishing, SM had higher R_athan AM (p < 0.001). After CTC, GSM had the lowest R_a(p ≤ 0.048). SM had the lowest (p ≤ 0.031) and AM had the highest (p < 0.001) ΔE₀₀. CTC decreased the a* and b* values of SM and AM (p ≤ 0.017), and increased the L* values of AM (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Polishing significantly reduced the surface roughness of all materials. CTC did not increase the surface roughness of materials above the clinically acceptable threshold. Only AM had perceptible color change when previously reported threshold values for denture base materials were considered.

Clinical significance: Tested denture base materials may have similar surface stability after coffee thermocycling. However, subtractively manufactured denture base materials may have improved color stability when subjected to long-term coffee consumption.