Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Evaluating the Effects of Different Polishing Methods on Color Stability of Dental Restorations in Pediatric Dentistry
Published on: June 6, 2025
Difference in opalescence of restorative materials by the illuminant
1Department of Dental Biomaterials Science, Dental Research Institute and BK 21 Program, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, 28 Yeongeon-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Objectives:
To determine the differences in the opalescence parameter (OP) of indirect and direct resin composites, veneer ceramics and bovine enamel relative to the CIE standard illuminants D65, A and F2.
Methods:
BelleGlass NG (indirect resin; 10 shades) and Estelite Sigma (direct resin; 12 shades), and 4 shades of veneer ceramics were investigated. Bovine enamel was used as a reference. Reflected and transmitted colors of specimens were measured relative to the illuminants D65, A and F2 with a reflection spectrophotometer. OP values relative to the three illuminants [OP(D65), OP(A) and OP(F2)], difference in OP (DeltaOP) and OP difference ratio relative to OP(D65) [DeltaOP/OP(D65)] by the change of illuminants were calculated. Within each restorative material, DeltaOP and DeltaOP/OP(D65) values were analyzed with two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), with the fixed factors of the shade designation and the combination of illuminants (alpha=0.05).
Results:
DeltaOP and DeltaOP/OP(D65) values were influenced by the two factors within each restorative material based on two-way ANOVA. High opalescent materials showed higher DeltaOP values. OP(D65) was lower than OP(F2) and OP(A) values. Restorative materials showed lower DeltaOP/OP(D65) values than bovine enamel. Correlation coefficients between OP values relative to different illuminants were higher than 0.961 (P<0.01).
Significance:
Direct resin composites instead of ceramics or indirect resin composites should be recommended in clinical dentistry since they showed similar opalescence properties as compared with natural tooth enamel.
Related Concept Videos
Photoluminescence: Applications
Flame Photometry: Lab
Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy
In-phase-contrast microscopes, interference between light directly passing through a cell and light refracted by cellular components is used to create high-contrast, high-resolution images without staining. It is the oldest and simplest type of microscope that creates an image by altering the wavelengths of light rays passing through the specimen. Altered wavelength paths are created using an annular stop in the condenser. The annular stop produces a hollow cone of...
Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
Spectrophotometry: Introduction
The essential components of a spectrophotometer include a source of electromagnetic radiation, a slot for placing a material to be analyzed, and a...
Fluorescence and Phosphorescence: Instrumentation
