ABSTRACT
AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to measure the refractive index of four commercially available enamel resin composites, using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and their relationship with the atomic composition of the composite resin fillers utilizing an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (EDX). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four different enamel composites, namely Enamel HRi color UE3, Enamel HFO color GE3, Vit-l-escence color Pearl Frost, and Amelogen Plus color Enamel White were tested. For each composite, disks with different thicknesses were fabricated and then light-cured according to the manufacturer's instructions. The disks were then stored in deionized water under 36.5 °C for at least 7 days. Each of the samples from the four different groups was measured in five distinctive points to analyze the optical and physical length using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Elemental analysis of all four different enamel shades of the composite was done using an EDX. RESULTS: The filler contents showed interesting differences in elemental composition and concentration; however, Si seemed to be a common filler component. The HRi composite presented a distinctive composition compared to other materials and was the only composite that showed a smaller percentage of SiO2, and also was the only composite that contained compounds, such as P2O5, ZnO, CaO, La2O3, and V2O5. The optical coherence tomography analysis showed the refractive index values of all tested enamel composites. Among the four different enamel composite resins tested, the enamel HRi composite demonstrated the most ideal refractive index to mimic natural enamel. CONCLUSION: The enamel HRi composite demonstrated a distinctive filler composition and this could be the main reason behind its higher refractive index. Nonetheless, it remains unclear how much of an impact this feature has in the final esthetic outcome of anterior composite restorations, where many other optical phenomena are also important. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The clinical success of any esthetic restorative procedure depends on diagnosing the proper treatment plan and also on executing this treatment with the right materials. On direct esthetic restorations, knowing the optical properties of such materials is fundamental, as they should be able to replicate both natural enamel and dentin. How to cite this article: Beolchi RS, Mehta D, Pelissier B, et al. Influence of Filler Composition on the Refractive Index of Four Different Enamel Shades of Composite Resins. J Contemp Dent Pract 2021;22(5):557-561.
Subject(s)
Dental Materials , Refractometry , Color , Composite Resins , Dental Enamel , Esthetics, Dental , Materials Testing , Silicon DioxideABSTRACT
Vivendo em uma época em que há uma grande exigência estética por parte dos pacientes, resinas compostas são formidáveis materiais na solução de problemas estéticos que envolvem necessidade de alteração de cor, forma e textura de dentes. O desenvolvimento de materiais mais modernos, com uma maior proporção de partículas de carga por volume e melhores propriedades mecânicas foi o que permitiu que a resina passasse a ser um dos materiais mais utilizados na Odontologia adesiva direta. Entretanto, foi somente no final da década de 1990 que os fabricantes passaram a melhorar suas propriedades ópticas. Hoje, muitas resinas compostas de última geração proporcionam características ópticas praticamente idênticas dentição natural. A evolução dos materiais, aliada maior exigência estética dos pacientes contribuiu para o aumento na procura por restaurações diretas de resina composta nos últimos anos. Infelizmente, a maioria dos sistemas de compostos disponíveis apresenta uma grande variedade de cores, o que pode dificultar a escolha correta de materiais pelo clínico. Tendo em mente que essa uma etapa crucial para uma restauração de aspecto natural, ser apresentado um caso de reanatomização dos quatro incisivos superiores com resina composta para harmonização da linha do sorriso. Espera-se que a técnica simplificada para escolha e aplicação de cores descrita possa ser adotada no dia a dia do consultório odontológico
Due to the great aesthetic demand from the patients, composite resins are important materials in the resolution of aesthetic problems regarding color alteration, shape, and texture of teeth. The development of more modern materials, with a higher ratio of filler per volume and improved mechanical properties allowed composite resins to be one of the most used materials in modern direct adhesive Dentistry. However, only in the late nineties composite resin manufacturers were able to improve their optical properties. Nowadays, many composites provide optical characteristics broadly similar to those of natural dentition. Being so, the evolution of those materials, aligned to a greater aesthetic demand by patients contributed to the increasing of direct composite resin restorations over the last few years. Unfortunately, most of the available composite resin systems present a large variety of shades, which can make color selection difficult. Having in mind that this is a crucial step in order to achieve a restoration with a natural aspect, this article will present the anatomical re-contouring of four upper incisor teeth with direct composite resin in order to obtain a more harmonious smile line. It is yearned that the simplified technique described in this article for choosing and applying the composite can be adopted on a daily basis in dental offices
