Statement of the problem: Several mouth rinses promising whiter smiles are on the market today.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro color recovery effects of six commercial mouth rinses on a stained universal composite resin.
Materials and methods: Sixty composite resin specimens were prepared with a universal composite resin (Filtek Z250), and baseline Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage L*a*b* color coordinates were measured by spectrophotometry. Specimens were subjected to two cycles of staining with coffee and cherry juice for 2 weeks, followed by immersion into mouth rinses (Listerine Whitening Vibrant, Scope White, Crest 3D White, Signal White Now, Oral-B 3D White, and Colgate Optic White). Changes in color coordinates were measured after staining and after 24- and 72-hour immersion periods. Color alterations were calculated both by CIEDE2000 and CIELAB formulas. Data were submitted to analysis of variance for repeated measures and Tukey's multiple comparison test. (α = 0.05).
Results: Immersion in colorant beverages caused perceptible discolorations on composite resin samples (ΔE00 > 2.25 and ΔEab * > 3.46). Immersion period and mouth rinses were significant factors for the color recovery procedure (p < 0.001). The interaction between immersion time and WMR was also significant (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: The color recovery of composite resin was affected by the brand of mouth rinse and the period of immersion.
Clinical significance: This in vitro study revealed that tested mouth rinses are capable of recovering discolored composite resin colors after a prolonged exposure period.
© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.