Alcohol-containing mouthwasheses: effect on composite color.

This study investigated whether commercially available mouthwashes could affect or change the color of a hybrid composite resin. Twenty-four disks were fabricated and divided into eight equal groups for testing. At baseline, six colorimetric recordings and color parameters (L*, a*, b*) were recorded for each grouping of disks using a Chroma Meter CR-300 in reflectance mode. The groups of disks were immersed in their respective mouthwashes for 2 minutes a day in a vibratory fashion over a 6-month period. At the end of 6 months, color differences, delta E, were calculated between the base line and test recordings. The results indicate that rinsing with mouthwashes for 6 months can cause a hybrid resin to undergo color variations. Except for one product the color variations were not clinically significant.