Influence of professional prophylaxis on reducing discoloration of different aesthetic restorative materials

Color match is one of the most important characteristics of aesthetic restorative materials. Integrity of the restoration and color stability throughout its functional duration are of paramount importance to ensure treatment longevity. These features, however, are not consistent among the different dental restorative materials. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of professional prophylaxis on reducing wear discoloration of four aesthetic restorative materials after their immersion in coffee solution for 15 days.

Seventy-one disc-shaped specimens (17 mm in diameter and 1mm thick) were fabricated and divided into five groups according to each restorative material: direct composite resin (G1: Tetric Ceram(®)), three indirect composite resins (G2: Targis; G3: Resilab Master; G4: belleGlassTM HP) and one ceramic system (G5: control: IPS Empress(®) 2). The specimens were immersed in coffee staining solution for 15 days at 37° ± 1°C in a dark environment. Afterwards, they were subjected to professional prophylaxis using sodium bicarbonate jet. Evaluations were made by means of a reflectance spectrophotometer, at three time-intervals: baseline, immediately after staining (15 days), and after prophylaxis. Data were subjected to two-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's test (α=0.05).

Significant difference was observed between G1/G3 and the other groups, between G2/G4 and the other groups, and between G5 and all the other groups.

It was concluded that G1 and G3 showed the greatest color changes, followed by G2 and G4, while G5 showed the smallest changes. Professional prophylaxis seemed to minimize the wear discoloration, which might result in increasing aesthetic restoration longevity.