Color Stability and Staining Susceptibility of Direct Resin-Based Composites after Light-Activated In-Office Bleaching

This study evaluated color stability and staining susceptibility of five direct resin-based composites (RBCs) subjected to light-activated in-office bleaching with 40% hydrogen peroxide (HP). The test materials included 5 RBCs, which consisted of one nano-filled, one sub-micron, one bulk-filled, and two nano-hybrid RBC types. Ten disc-shaped specimens of each RBC were fabricated and divided into bleaching (BLE) and non-bleaching (CON) groups (n = 5 for each group). Specimens were then immersed in red wine solution over 4 h. A spectrophotometer was used to obtain Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) L*a*b* parameters for each of the following periods tested: before bleaching (T(BA)), after bleaching (T(BL)), and after staining (T(ST)). Color stability and staining susceptibility were evaluated using two metrics, CIEDE2000 color differences (ΔE(00)) and whiteness variations using the whiteness index (ΔWI(D)). Data were analyzed using repeated measures two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (α = 0.05). Statistically significant and clinically unaccepted ΔE(00) and ΔWI(D) were observed for all tested specimens between T(BA) and T(BL). The nano-hybrid type RBCs showed the highest discoloration among materials after bleaching treatment. The BLE group exhibited significantly higher ΔE(00) and ΔWI(D) than the CON group for all the tested RBCs between T(BA) and T(ST). The sub-micron type RBC showed the highest discoloration among materials after immersion in the red wine. Conclusion. The light-activated in-office bleaching with 40% HP’s influences on color and whiteness index were material-dependent. The use of bleaching treatment also increased the susceptibility to red wine for all RBCs.