Erosion Effects on Morphology and Chemical Composition of Direct Dental Restoratives

Abstract

The improvements in tooth-coloured filling materials generated more direct conservative techniques, making possible the achievement of optimal functional and aesthetic outcomes, in anterior and posterior teeth. Erosive acid-induced lesions of enamel or dentin often need restorative procedures. Nowadays, mostly aesthetic direct restoratives, which are adhesively fixed to the tooth surface are used for this purpose [1]. Several authors have concluded that direct restorations may lead to rehabilitation of eroded dentition in a less invasive manner [2], achieving adequate shaped, coloured and functional restorations. Thisin vitrostudy was carried out to evaluate, using micro energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the effects of an erosive challenge on different current direct restorative materials. It was aimed to provide information on aesthetic dental filling materials regarding their relative abilities to resist to erosive attack. The tested null hypothesis was that exposure to erosive solutions would influence surface degradation and chemical composition of the evaluated dental restoratives.