Evaluation of Translucency and Color Changes of Two Retainer Materials After Staining and Destaining

Abstract

Hypothesis and Objective: Evaluate changes in color and translucency of 2 retainer materials after staining with various staining solutions and de-staining with 5 cleaning reagents with ultrasonic and non-ultrasonic means. We hypothesize that there are different responses between 2 materials Methods: Polyurethane and copolymer specimens were fabricated with two surface textures; rough and smooth. The specimens were stained with tea, coffee, wine and distilled water for four weeks at 37°C. The color and translucency of specimens were determined at baseline, 7, 14 and 28 days of staining. After staining, all stained specimens were de-stained with 5 reagents with or without ultrasonic means, namely Invisalign® cleaning crystals, RetainerBrite®, Polydent®, Listerine®, and H2O2. Translucency and color change were evaluated after de-staining. Raman spectrophotometry was used for composition change evaluation. Statistical analyses were performed at P= 0.05. Results: Statistical significances were noted at the end of staining; for copolymer, for changes in both translucency and color changes on rough surface; for polyurethane, no significance was noted between staining for rough and smooth when evaluating the change in color and translucency. More significant translucency and color changes were observed in coffee and tea stained materials compared to wine and water. No major change was noted between all destaining solutions or destaining means. No composition change was observed in any groups at the end of de-staining. Conclusion: Of the staining solutions, coffee and tea stained both materials more than wine. The rough surfaces tended to hold stains more compared to the smooth surface for Essix ® C+. There was no one de-staining solution that was better over another, when evaluating the specimens stained with coffee, significant changes in color were observed when cleansed with Invisalign® cleaning crystals. No significant differences of any variables including composition between ultrasonic and non-ultrasonic on both materials.