Effect of whitening dentifrices and mouthwashes on color and surface roughness of resin-infiltrated enamel

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of whitening dentifrices and mouthwashes on color change (ΔE) and surface roughness (Ra) of resin-infiltrated enamel. The specimens were demineralized, infiltrated with Icon®️ and grouped according to the dentifrices to be used, after they were subjected to 30,000 brushing cycles. The groups were further subdivided according to the mouthwash type and were then submitted to immersion cycles for 45 days. Ra was evaluated in a rugosimeter, surface morphology analysis was performed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and ΔE was evaluated using a spectrophotometer 3 times (at: T0 - initial, T1 - after brushing, T2 - after mouthwash). Analyses were performed using the SPSS 2.0 software, with a significance level of 5%, except for SEM analyses, which were evaluated only aualitatively. For Ra tests, Kruskal Wallis and Dunn's analyses as well as Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon’s test were applied. For color tests, one-way (Brushing) and two-way (mouthwashes/toothpaste) factor ANOVA were used. Ra decreased after the brushing cycles and the use of mouthwashes did not produce significant changes on the surface. SEM images also demonstrated a decrease in Ra. ΔE for all groups was above the levels of acceptability and perceptibility while there was no difference in ΔE among the tested groups. In conclusion, the dentifrices used caused a reduction in surface roughness, suggesting a degradation of the material, unlike the mouthwashes, which did not produce significant differences. Regarding color, all samples were above the level of clinical acceptability.