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Published on: July 10, 2014
An alkasite restorative material effectively remineralized artificial interproximal enamel caries in vitro
Thipthida Theerarath1, Wannakorn Sriarj2
1Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, 34 Henri-Dunant Road, Wangmai, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
Objective:
To evaluate the remineralization of artificial interproximal enamel caries (AIEC) adjacent to alkasite, high viscous glass ionomer cement (HVGIC), and resin composite in class II restorations.
Materials And Methods:
Human enamel specimens were randomly assigned to 3 groups (n = 22): Filtek™ Z350, EQUIA Forte®, and Cention N®. The baseline hardness was determined using a Knoop microhardness assay. AIEC was formed in the specimens, and they were placed in contact with the proximal restorative materials then subjected to a 7-day pH cycling. Microhardness was determined post-artificial caries formation and post-pH cycling. The differences in the percentage of surface hardness recovery (%SHR) between the groups were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The Dunn's test was used for between-group comparisons (p < 0.05). Specimen surface morphology was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the calcium, phosphorus, and fluoride contents were analyzed by energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). ANOVA with the post hoc Tukey multiple comparison test was used to evaluate the differences between groups (p < 0.05).
Results:
The Cention N® %SHR was the highest, followed by EQUIA Forte®, and Filtek™ Z350. There was a significant difference in the %SHR between Cention N® and Filtek™ Z350 (p < 0.05). In contrast, there were no significant difference between Cention N® and EQUIA Forte®. Significantly increased enamel surface fluoride content was observed in the Cention N® compared with Filtek™ Z350 specimens (p < 0.05). The SEM image of the Cention N® specimens demonstrated the greatest mineral deposition.
Conclusions:
Cention N® markedly increased the surface hardness and fluoride content of adjacent AIEC compared with Filtek™ Z350 restorations.
Clinical Relevance:
Cention N® is a promising alternative restorative material to remineralize initial enamel lesions in approximal adjacent surfaces, especially in high-risk caries patients.
