The present study evaluates the erosion effect of some antiseptic acid solutions used in oral rinsing, as well as of the frequent intake of acid beverages upon various types of composite resins. To this end, two composite resins – namely Filtek Z250 (3M ESPE) and Charisma (Heraeus Kulzer), out of which 10 mm in diameter and 4mm high cylindrical samples were prepared -, were used. For each type of material, the samples were randomly divided into 5 groups, according to the solutions in which they had been immersed: distilled water (reference samples), tea (Nestea Lemon), Coca Cola, Corsodyl and Listerine, then analyzed by atomic force microscopy. A marked tendency of increased surface rugosity of both hybrid and microhybrid resins could be noticed after immersion in acid solutions. Statistically significant results were obtained when comparing the values of rugosity recorded after immersion of the Z250 and Charisma composite resins in Coca Cola, Listerine, Corsodyl and Nestea Lemon, comparatively with the reference group, as well as among the rugosity values obtained after immersion in Coca Cola, Nestea Lemon, Corsodyl and Listerine, with the exception of the values recorded after immersion in Nestea Lemon and Listerine. Under the experimental conditions applied in the present study, surface rugosity of composite resins was influenced whichever their type by their immersion in an acid medium. For both types of composite resins under investigation, the most aggressive medium was that of Coca Cola, followed, in decreasing order, by Nestea Lemon, Listerine and Corsodyl.
Keywords:- acid solutions
- AFM
- composite resins