Comparative evaluation of microhardness of three restorative materials after immersion in chlorhexidine mouthwash: An in vitro study.

AIM: To evaluate and compare the microhardness of Filtek Z250XT, Beautifil II, and Neo Spectra ST HV after immersion in chlorhexidine mouthwash.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Thirty disc specimens (10 for each group) made of three different restorative materials, Group 1 - Filtek (3M ESPE), Group 2 - Beautifil II (Shofu), and Group 3 - Neo Spectra ST HV (Dentsply). To simulate 1 year of daily mouthwash use, 10 specimens from each group were immersed in chlorhexidine, kept in an incubator at 37°C for 12 h, and later subjected to microhardness measurement using Vicker's hardness test. Finally, analysis of variance and post hoc tests were used to analyze the results statistically.

RESULTS

A significant reduction in microhardness was observed after immersion in chlorhexidine in Groups 1 and 3 compared to Group 2.

CONCLUSIONS

Filtek Z250XT exhibits the highest microhardness compared to the other two materials. However, Beautifil II is more resistant to chlorhexidine mouthwash and does not show a significant reduction compared to the other two restorative materials.