Assessment of the Effect of Acid and Base Cycling on Mechanical Properties of Various Esthetic Restorative Materials

Objective: The purpose of this study is the evaluation of the effect of pH cycling, including both acidic and alkaline environments, on the mechanical properties of tooth-colored restorative materials.

Methods and Materials: 20 rectangular bar specimens of one bulk-fill restorative composite, two conventional nanohybrid restorative composites, and one restorative resin-modified glass ionomer were produced according to ISO 4049. Half of the materials were stored in an acid and base cycling defined as two-day storage in acidic (pH =4) and alkaline (pH=8) solutions. The rest of the materials were incubated in distilled water as a control group. The storage lasted for 48 days. Finally, flexural strength, elastic modulus, and microhardness of the specimens in each group determined. Data analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn, MANOVA, Tukey HSD and T-test.

Results: The pH cycling model had a significant influence on all mechanical properties of the bulk-fill restorative composite and resin-modified glass ionomer than those stored in water (P <0.05). One of the conventional nanohybrid restorative composites showed a significant reduction in elastic modulus and microhardness while the other one showed a significant reduction only in flexural strength.

Conclusion: pH cycling negatively affects the mechanical properties of resin composites, and the materials’ composition is an important factor in the degradation of the resin-based materials examined.