Color Stability of Bioactive Restorative Materials After Immersion in Various Media

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials
• Restorative Dentistry

Background:

• Color stability is a critical factor in the longevity and aesthetics of dental restorations.
• Bioactive restorative materials are emerging as alternatives to conventional composites and glass ionomers.
• Understanding their color stability in various environments is essential for clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare the color stability of bioactive restorative materials (Activa Bioactive, Beautifil II) against a conventional resin composite (Filtek Z350XT) and a resin-modified glass ionomer cement (Fuji II).
• To assess the impact of different staining solutions (coffee, black tea, cola, mixed berry juice, saline) on the color change of these materials over time.

Main Methods:

• An in-vitro study involving four material groups: bioactive composite, giomer composite, resin-modified glass ionomer cement, and resin composite.
• 100 samples were fabricated and immersed in five staining solutions for 7, 14, and 28 days.
• Color change (ΔE) was measured using two spectrophotometers at baseline and at each time interval.

Main Results:

• All tested materials exhibited significant color changes over the 28-day immersion period.
• Activa Bioactive and Filtek Z350 demonstrated the highest color stability.
• Fuji II and Beautifil II showed the least color stability, with coffee and mixed berry juice causing the most pronounced color changes.

Conclusions:

• Resin-based restorative materials generally exhibit better color stability than glass ionomer-based materials.
• Bioactive and conventional resin composites offer promising color stability for dental restorations.
• Spectrophotometric measurements provided comparable and reliable data for assessing material color stability.