Objective: This study presents a comparative analysis of the color stability of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM)-fabricated provisional restorations with those of conventional restorations.
Materials and methods: Three different provisional restorative materials (Systemp C&B, 3M Protemp 4, and Telio CAD) were inspected for their color stability using four solutions (Pepsi, coffee, tea, and distilled water). All samples used were fabricated using A1 shade by following the manufacturer's instructions. Color assessment was performed using CIELAB system and a colorimeter. After baseline color measurement, color assessments were done weekly after immersion in specified solutions. Triplicate readings were taken for every sample and the mean value of the color coordinates (L*), (a*), and (b*) were recorded at baseline, week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4. The data within different groups were compared statistically using analysis of variance (α = 0.05).
Results: Overall, the highest color stability was found in CAD/CAM material, followed by Protemp and SystempC&B. It was also observed that the maximum color variation was observed in case of coffee, followed by tea and Pepsi.
Conclusions: CAD/CAM provisional material (Telio CAD) showed better color stability compared to conventional materials (Protemp 3M ESPE and SystempC&B Ivoclar Vivadent). CAD/CAM provisional materials are recommended for long-term temporization procedures. This is attributed to the prepolymerization, higher monomer conversion, and minimal preparation errors in CAD/CAM materials.
Keywords: Bis-Acryl; color stability; computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing; polymethyl methacrylate; provisional restoration.