Effect of whitening concepts on surface roughness and optical characteristics of resin-based composites: An AFM study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of various whitening agents on the surface roughness and optical characteristics of different types of resin composite restorations. Fifty specimens were prepared for each resin [G-aenial Posterior (GP), SonicFill-2 (SF), Solidex (SDX), and Nova Compo HF (NC)]. Following baseline color and surface roughness (Ra) measurements, the specimens were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 10/group) according to whitening concepts: control (distilled water), in-office bleaching [OB-(Opalescence Boost)], at-home bleaching [HB-(Opalescence PF)], whitening toothpaste [WT-(Signal White Now)], and whitening mouthwash [WM-(Listerine Advanced White)]. ∆E₀₀ , ∆TP₀₀ , and ∆WI_D values were calculated before and after the whitening procedure with a spectrophotometer using the CIEDE2000 formula. Surface roughness measurements were repeated. The surface topography was determined using atomic force microscopy. Two- and three-way analyses of variance and Tukey's post-hoc test were performed, with p < 0.05 regarded as indicative of significance. No significant differences were detected among the resin composite materials in terms of the ΔE₀₀ values (p > 0.05). Color change of all resin materials was above the AT threshold (>1.8) and the PT threshold (>0.8). All restorative materials presented acceptable (AT<2.62) TP₀₀ values. Solidex specimens demonstrated the lowest W_ID values compared to the other composites. There were significant differences among the whitening procedures with respect to ΔE₀₀ , ΔTP₀₀ , and W_ID values (p < 0.001). SF/WT combination showed the highest and clinically unacceptable ΔE₀₀ values. The highest roughness values were observed in the SDX specimens and the combination of SDX/OB. The effect of whitening agents on the optical characteristics and surface roughness of restorative materials depends on the type of material, agent, and time. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Clinicians should be aware that long-term use of over-the-counter products due to the abrasive effects of their ingredients and repeated bleaching session applications may affect the color stability and surface roughness of resin composites.