In vitro effects of alcohol-containing and alcohol-free mouthrinses on microhardness of some restorative materials.

Daily application of mouthrinses has been recommended for the prevention and control of caries and periodontal disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of alcohol-containing and alcohol-free mouthrinses on the microhardness of three restorative materials. Materials tested included visible light cured (VLC) composite resin (Amelogen), VLC glass-ionomer cement (Fuji II LC) and a fissure sealant (Ultra Seal XT). Eighteen cylinders of each restorative were fabricated and initially stored in distilled water for 24 h. Six samples of the restoratives were stored for 12 hours to simulate a 2 min/day for 1 year exposure to mouthrinses in the following solutions: distilled water (control), alcohol-containing mouthrinse (Viadent) and alcohol-free mouthrinse (Rembrandt). At the end of the test period microhardness was measured with a Tukon microhardness tester. Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance was used to analyse the data. Both mouthrinses affected the hardness of the materials tested.