Translucency of bulk-fill composite materials: A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Restorative Dentistry
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Bulk-fill (BF) composite materials offer clinical advantages in placement efficiency.
• Understanding the optical properties, specifically translucency, is crucial for aesthetic outcomes.
• Variability in BF composite formulations necessitates a review of their translucency characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the translucency of bulk-fill (BF) composite materials.
• To identify factors influencing BF composite translucency.
• To evaluate the clinical implications of BF composite translucency.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across Embase, Medline/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science until October 2023.
• Inclusion of in vitro studies on BF resin-based composites' translucency.
• Risk of bias assessment using the RoBDEMAT tool.

Main Results:

• 13 in vitro studies were included, examining 11 high-viscosity and 5 low-viscosity BF materials.
• Heterogeneity in experimental designs and data prevented meta-analysis.
• Significant variability in reported translucency values was observed.

Conclusions:

• Bulk-fill composite materials demonstrate considerable variation in translucency.
• Differences in material composition and experimental methodologies contribute to this variability.
• The variable translucency may affect the masking of underlying tooth structure and the blending of restorations.