Effect of opalescence in resin-based dental composites on the active color matching ability.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the influence of opalescence in the color matching ability of dental composites.

METHODS

Single-disc samples were prepared using 10 commercially available composites (6 conventional, 3 simplified-shade, and 1 single-shade). Dual-color samples were created using Omnichroma, Ceram.X Sphere TEC (A3 shade), and DenFil (B2/C2 shade), with various cavity diameters in the center, which were then filled with the aforementioned 10 composites. Additionally, single-color samples were prepared using the 4 base composites mentioned above. The ΔE were calculated as differences between single and dual samples. The color coordinates (CIE Lab) of the samples were measured using a spectrophotometer. The results of translucency parameters (TP) and opalescence parameters (OP) of the 10 composites were compared with ΔE measurement samples.

RESULTS

TP and OP generally had a linear correlation, and ΔE mostly increased with cavity diameter. Regarding the correlation between ΔE and TP, little correlation was observed in the conventional composite bases, but higher correlations were observed in the simplified- or single-shade composite bases. Regarding the correlation between ΔE and OP, inverse correlations were observed in the conventional composite bases and simplified composite bases, but the single-shade composite base showed the linear correlations with OP.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight a potentially greater role for opalescence in the color matching ability of dental composites than previously acknowledged.