Color stability, surface roughness, and surface morphology of universal composites

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials Research
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Universal composites are widely used in restorative dentistry.
• Assessing their long-term stability against common staining agents is crucial for clinical longevity.
• Surface properties like roughness and color stability are key indicators of material performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the surface roughness (Ra) and color stability (ΔE₀₀) of different universal composites after exposure to staining solutions.
• To investigate the correlation between surface roughness and color change in these materials.
• To compare the performance of paste-type and flowable universal composites.

Main Methods:

• 200 composite discs from five universal composites were prepared.
• Samples were immersed in black tea, coffee, red wine, or artificial saliva for 21 days.
• Surface roughness (Ra) and color change (ΔE₀₀) were measured at baseline and specific intervals.

Main Results:

• All tested universal composites exhibited clinically unacceptable color changes and increased surface roughness post-exposure.
• Red wine caused the most significant color change, followed by black tea and coffee.
• The highly filled flowable universal composite demonstrated the best color stability in coffee, red wine, and black tea.

Conclusions:

• Universal composites are susceptible to discoloration and surface roughening from common beverages.
• Surface roughness and color change are positively correlated across tested universal composites.
• Material selection, particularly the use of highly filled flowable composites, can influence color stability.