Lee Ann Brady, DMD's Dental Blog

  • Home
  • About Dr. Lee Ann Brady
  • Dental Practice
  • Categories
    • Dental Materials
    • Esthetic Dentistry
    • Occlusion/TMD
    • Practice of Dentistry
    • Preventive Dentistry
    • Restorative Dentistry
    • Restorative Techniques
    • Treatment Planning
    • Videos
    • A-Z Topic List
  • Speaker’s Packet Request
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Restorative Dentistry / Color Instability of Composite

Color Instability of Composite

By Lee Ann Brady on 11.12.12Category: Restorative Dentistry

A common question that I get from patients is how long it will take for the color of a new composite filling to change. The answer to this has changed over time as our materials have evolved. Modern composites are at less risk of yellowing or darkening over time than some of the original materials, but there are still some factors that cause color instability. Studies have shown that composite resin materials due undergo a yellowing process as they age,  and this is true despite the chemical composition.

A common photoinitiator in composite resin is  camphoroquinone, which has a yellowish hue to it. During the process of polymerization, the composite is photobleached or the compound loses this yellowish color. Any residual camphoroquinone can contribute to a yellowing of the composite resin. In addition as a composite ages we can see degradation of the amine structure produced during polymerization and this creates color instability. Another chemical factor affecting color instability is formation of broken carbon double bonds int he matrix of the composite resin. From a technique perspective one of the things we can do to decrease color instability is make sure our composite resins are fully cured. I always try to remember that under curing is a problem, over curing isn’t.

Most of these issues are a process of the composite aging, so we can tell our patients that they can expect the material to yellow over time. Now one of the things we can also remember is that our teeth yellow and age over time, so the composite becoming esthetically unpleasing only occurs when the color difference between it and the natural teeth becomes visible. One factor that will accelerate this is the use of bleaching agents. Studies have shown that carbamide peroxide has little to no effect on the color of composite resin, therefore consistent tooth bleaching will accelerate the rate at which the composite appears yellow compared to the surrounding tooth.

 

Related

Share

Leave a Comment Cancel

Search

Recent Posts

  • Retraction Paste Technique Sensitivity
  • The Next Generation of Glass Ionomer Cements
  • A Fantastic New Temporary Cement
  • Tissue Blanching When Seating An Implant Restoration
  • Is It Time To Get An Intra-oral Impression Scanner?
  • Does Your Team Order The Dental Materials You Want?

Recent Comments

  • Shavon on Allergic Reaction To A Dental Cleaning?
  • Joe on Stick Bite: Why and How
  • Joan Johnson on Post & Core’s Coming Loose?
  • Rosemary on Ugh, The Margins Are Open!
  • Sakshi on Removing An e.max Restoration
  • Jeremy Montrose on Ugh, The Margins Are Open!

Policies

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Cancellations and Refunds

Security Seal

© 2020 Lee Ann Brady LLC, All Rights Reserved Site by CSL