Erosive Resistance of High-Translucency Resin Composites: New Insights for Esthetic Dentistry.

BACKGROUND

Acidic beverages can compromise the performance of resin composites by altering their mechanical properties. This study evaluated the effect of an energy drink on the microhardness and surface roughness of five high-translucency resin composites.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

An in vitro experimental design was performed using Filtek Z350 XT Translucent, Forma Trans, PALFIQUE LX5 CE, Beautifil II Inc, and Opallis T-Neutral. Disc specimens (n = 5 per group) were light-cured with an LED unit and polished. The samples were immersed daily for 10 minutes in Red Bull® over 30 days and stored in artificial saliva between immersions. Microhardness (VMH) was measured using a 50 g load applied for 15 s, while surface roughness (Ra) was determined with a contact profilometer. Normality and homogeneity were assessed with Shapiro-Wilk and Brown-Forsythe tests. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni correction and Kruskal-Wallis with Dunn's post hoc were applied ( = 0.05).

RESULTS

All composites exhibited a progressive decrease in microhardness and an increase in surface roughness. Filtek Z350 XT Translucent maintained the highest hardness, whereas Forma Trans demonstrated the greatest stability with less deterioration. Beautifil II Inc showed the most pronounced changes in both variables, while PALFIQUE LX5 CE displayed balanced behavior and Opallis T-Neutral showed intermediate results. Statistically significant effects of resin type, immersion time, and their interaction were observed for both VMH and Ra (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, daily exposure to Red Bull® negatively affected all resin composites tested. Beautifil II Inc proved the most susceptible, while nanocluster and zirconia containing materials exhibited greater resistance to acidic degradation.