The effect of acidic agents on surface ion leaching and surface characteristics of dental porcelains

Acidic food and sour fruits and drinks have been investigated for their destructive effects on enamel. However, their effect on porcelain restorations has not been widely examined.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ion leaching of porcelains immersed in acidic agents.

Fifty-five discs (12.0 mm in diameter and 2.0 mm in thickness) were made from each of 4 types of porcelain (VITA VMK 95, Vitadur Alpha, IPS Empress Esthetic, and IPS e.max Ceram). Baseline data of elemental compositions of all storage agents were recorded. Four groups of discs (n=10) were then immersed in acidic agents (citrate buffer solution, pineapple juice, and green mango juice) and deionized water (control) at 37 degrees C for 168 hours. One group was immersed in 4% acetic acid at 80 degrees C for 168 hours. After immersion, fluids from all specimens for each acidic agent were measured for ion leaching with an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. Surface characteristics of specimens were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Data were analyzed using 3-way repeated ANOVA and Tukey HSD multiple comparisons (alpha=.05).

This study revealed that each type of porcelain had significantly leached the various ions to varying degrees after being immersed in acidic agents (P<.001 for all comparisons). SEM photomicrographs showed surface destruction of all porcelains.

Acidic agents used in this study affected elemental dissolution of the 4 types of porcelains evaluated.