An In Vitro Assessment of Chromatic Stability in Resin-Modified Glass Ionomer and A Bioactive Alkasite Restorative Material

Abstract

Background: We all want our dental fillings to look good and last a long time, right? Well, this lab study was all about checking how well two common tooth-colored filling materials—a resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) and a newer, "bioactive" material called Cention N—hold their color when exposed to everyday drinks that can cause stains.

Materials and Methods: We made 60 small, disc-shaped samples (like tiny coins, 8mm wide and 2mm thick), half from RMGIC and half from Cention N. First, we took a baseline color reading for each using a special color-measuring device. Then, we split the samples into four groups (10 of each material per group). For 7 days, we soaked them in either plain distilled water (our control group), coffee, tea, or cola. After the soaking period, we took a final color reading and calculated how much the color had changed (ΔE). To figure out if the differences were significant, we used a statistical test called a two-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's HSD test (with a significance level of 0.05).

Results: What we found was pretty clear: both the type of material and the type of drink significantly affected how much the color changed (P<0.001 for both). There was even a significant interaction, meaning how each material reacted to a drink was unique (P<0.001). Cention N consistently showed less color change (lower ΔE values) across all the staining drinks compared to RMGIC (P<0.01). Coffee was the biggest culprit for staining both materials, followed by tea, and then cola. RMGIC's color changes were noticeable (above the clinically acceptable threshold of 3.3) for all the staining drinks, but Cention N stayed below this threshold for cola.

Conclusion: So, within the limits of our lab setup, Cention N proved to be better at keeping its color stable than RMGIC. The drinks we consume definitely play a big role in how much our fillings stain, with coffee being the worst offender. This suggests that Cention N might be a better choice for fillings if you're looking for longer-lasting esthetics, especially if you enjoy a lot of staining beverages.