Color match of resin composites to intact tooth structure

The optical properties of dental restorative materials have a dramatic effect on patient esthetics, which may be compromised by the poor blending effect of composites resins at the composite–tooth interface.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the color-matching ability and the blending effects of 3 different composite resins when restoring natural teeth.

Three commercially available composites and 60 central incisors were used for this experiment. Each tooth was sectioned horizontally at the level of the cementum–enamel junction, and the crown was then bisected along the long axis of the tooth. One half of each tooth was restored individually with composite resin, after matching with the corresponding tooth shade. The tooth color was evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively using an intraoral spectrophotometer and a scientific spectrophotometer. Color differences were then evaluated by the CIEDE2000 color difference formula.

The results showed the existence of color differences between the intact and the restored sections of the teeth. However, these differences were considered acceptable, since the ΔΕ value ranged below 3.3. The ΔE, Δa and Δb parameters showed no statistically significant differences between the groups (p>0.05).

The 3 composites tested were able to mimic natural teeth and produce acceptable restorations. However, the color of the resin composites needs to be evaluated over the long term, because it is subject to alterations in the oral environment over time.