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Updated: Aug 23, 2026
Evaluating the Effects of Different Polishing Methods on Color Stability of Dental Restorations in Pediatric Dentistry
Published on: June 6, 2025
The effect of surface finishing and storage solutions on the color stability of resin-based composites
Shreena B Patel1, Valeria V Gordan, Allyson A Barrett
1University of Florida, College of Dentistry, Department of Operative Dentistry, Health Science Center, Gainesville 32610-0415, USA.
Background:
The authors tested the hypothesis that surface-finishing treatments and the type of storage solutions significantly affected the staining of resin-based composites, or RBCs, and unfilled resins, or URs.
Methods:
Fifty-four RBC and 54 UR disks were polymerized through a polyester film strip (Mylar, DuPont, Wilmington, Del.) and polished in one of three groups: 1-micrometer aluminum oxide, 15-microm diamond plate and no treatment (polyester film). All specimens were immersed in water for two days and then in coffee, cola or red wine for seven more days at 37 C. The authors recorded tristimulus color measurements before the immersions; after one and two days in water; and after one, two, three and seven days in the storage solutions.
Results:
Most of the color changes occurred between day 2 in water and day 7 in the staining solution. Analysis of variance showed that the finishing treatment and storage solution significantly influenced the overall color change (deltaE), and interactions occurred between the finishing treatment and the storage solution (P < .0001) for both materials. RBC specimens generally exhibited greater color changes than did UR specimens. The polyester film finishing exhibited the greatest amount of color change, while the diamond finishing exhibited the least amount of color change. Immersion in wine caused the greatest color change for both materials; cola and coffee resulted in the smallest color change for RBC and UR specimens, respectively.
Conclusions:
Finishing treatments and storage solutions significantly affect the surface staining of RBC materials. Polyester film finishing and red wine produced the greatest color change after seven days for RBC specimens.
Clinical Implications:
Clinicians should remove the polyester film-finished surface and advise patients that drinking wine could intensify surface staining on RBC restorations.
