Spectrophotometric analysis of color stability of esthetic restorative material in chlorhexidine mouthwash: An in vitro study

BACKGROUND: Commendable aesthetic properties of composites make it a pioneer filling material. However, discoloration of composite resin materials emerges as a major clinical problem in a long term. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Aim of the study is to evaluate the color stability of nano filled and micro hybrid dental composite resin in chlorhexidine mouthwash MATERIALS AND METHODS: 20 specimens of dimension 10*2mm were prepared of A2 shade. All the prepared samples were immersed in 20 ml of distilled water in separate containers according to the group. Further incubation at 37°C for 24 h was done. After 24 h, baseline color values of each sample were recorded using a spectrophotometer. After recording the baseline color measurements, 10 specimens (random selection) from each group were placed in 20 ml of 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash for 24 h duration. The L*a*b* system of the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE L*a*b* Color Scale) was used for the determination of colorimetric values of the specimens. RESULTS: The color change was displayed by both the samples after immersion in the mouthwash but the change was not statistically significant (0.763). ΔE value for nano filled composites is 3.25 while for the micro-hybrid composites the value is 3.56. CONCLUSION: The colorimetric values of nano filled composite resins are more stable than the micro hybrid composite due to exposure to chlorhexidine mouthwash.