“Interaction between staining and degradation of a composite resin in contact with colored foods” by Debora Soares-Geraldo; Taís Scaramucci; Washington Steagall-Jr; Sheila Regina Maia Braga; Maria Angela Pita Sobral
Clinical Question:
Is composite subject to long term discoloration when used for diastema closures and what are possible causes of discoloration?
Clinical Relevance:
Patient is unhappy with diastemas present between teeth #23-25 and wants to close diastemas using direct composite method. However, the patient likes to drink coffee and tea, which can lead to tooth …show more content…
it summarizes whether or not using direct composites have a long-term success against discoloration, fracture, and various other factors that can lead to reduced survival rates. Though my main focus for selecting this article was for learning about whether or not composites are subject to staining, I learned that the most frequent threat to direct composite placement is chipping. 58 patients were selected for this study ranging from 18 years old to 85 years old and 176 direct composites were evaluated. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for analysis of restorations. A three criteria rule was implemented in which failure was denoted as F, survival was SR, and success was S. The restorations marked SR indicated that some type of repair, polishing, or unfavorable event ensued. 55% of restorations were placed in females and 45% were placed in males. Various composite materials were used as well as various operators in this study. From this study, 146 restorations were successful after 63 months and 30 had less than desirable outcomes. Positively, none of the restorations failed. The study concluded that there was an 84.6% survival rate. In the areas that received marks of “clinically unsatisfactory” fracture, interproximal staining, and color discoloration obtained the largest …show more content…
this article summarized that extrinsic staining is a result of absorbing fluids. Fluid absorption leads to expanding and plasticizing of the resin component, which causes microcracks. When the microcracks are present, the stain is able to penetrate and discolor the material. However, different composite resins are subject to various degrees of staining based on their organic matrix. It was shown that the more UDMA and Bis-Hema present, the more hydrophobic properties lead to further staining. Another factor that can result in staining is a low pH, which most foods and drinks contain. From reading this article, it has shown me that there are multiple factors that aid in the discoloration process of composite. Though some dietary considerations can be enforced with my patient, it is not logical to ban my patient from eating all foods that have a lower pH. Care must be taken when choosing materials, performing the procedure, and assessing postoperative follow-ups to ensure that a successful restoration is placed and that myself as well as the patient work together to ensure the longevity of the