Translucency and Radiopacity of Dental Resin Composites - Is There a Direct Relation?

Lpl Rosado; E A Münchow; Els de Oliveira; R Lacerda-Santos; D Q Freitas; H L Carlo; F S Verner

doi:10.2341/22-056-L

Translucency and Radiopacity of Dental Resin Composites - Is There a Direct Relation?

Oper Dent. 2023 May 1;48(3):E61-E69. doi: 10.2341/22-056-L.

Authors

Lpl Rosado¹, E A Münchow², Els de Oliveira³, R Lacerda-Santos⁴, D Q Freitas⁵, H L Carlo⁶, F S Verner⁷

Affiliations

¹ Lucas P Lopes Rosado, DDS, MSc, PhD researcher, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Division of Oral Radiology, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
² Eliseu Aldrighi Münchow, DDS, MSc, PhD, Department of Conservative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
³ Eduardo Lopes Soares de Oliveira, DDS, Department of Dentistry, Health Science Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Governador Valadares, MG, Brazil.
⁴ Rogério Lacerda-Santos, DDS, MSc, PhD, Department of Dentistry, Health Science Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Governador Valadares, MG, Brazil.
⁵ Deborah Queiroz Freitas, DDS, MSc, PhD, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Division of Oral Radiology, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
⁶ Hugo Lemes Carlo DDS, MSc, PhD, Department of Operative Dentistry and Dental Materials, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
⁷ *Francielle Silvestre Verner, DDS, MSc, PhD, Department of Dentistry, Health Science Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Governador Valadares, MG, Brazil.

PMID: 37079916
DOI: 10.2341/22-056-L

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to correlate the translucency degree of varying resin composites with their radiopacity.

Methods and materials: Twenty-four resin composites (conventional or bulk-fill) of various shades and opacities were selected from the following manufacturers: 3M ESPE (nanofilled), Ivoclar (nanohybrid), and FGM (microhybrid). Resin composite samples (n=5) were prepared (5-mm diameter × 1.5-mm thickness) for comparison using prepared samples of human dentin and enamel as controls. The translucency of each sample was measured using the translucent parameter (TP) method with a digital spectrophotometer (Vita Easyshade) and CIEL*a*b* color system over white and black backgrounds. The samples were also x-rayed using a photostimulable phosphor plate system for measurement of their radiopacity (in mmAl). All data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keuls (α=0.05); data for TP and radiopacity were correlated using the Spearman correlation test.

Results: Overall, the translucent shades and bulk-fill resin composites showed greater translucency than the other resins. While "body" and "enamel" shades demonstrated intermediate translucency to dentin and enamel, the "dentin" shades were more standardized, showing similar translucency to human dentin. All tested resin composites showed similar or greater radiopacity to human enamel, except the Empress Direct (Ivoclar) resin with Trans Opal shade, which was not radiopaque. Dentin and enamel showed radiopacity similar to 1 and 2 mmAl (millimeters of aluminum), respectively.

Conclusions: The resin composites investigated in this study differed regarding their translucency degree and radiopacity level, without any positive relationship between the two properties.

MeSH terms

Color
Composite Resins*
Dental Enamel / diagnostic imaging
Dental Materials*
Humans
Materials Testing

Substances

Dental Materials
Composite Resins