Impact of common social habits on optical properties of lithium disilicate glass ceramic crowns: An in vitro study

Statement of the problem: Patient stratifications considered the stability of color and treatment longevity are key success of restoration. Daily consumption of colored beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks, as well as the use of globally consumed materials, such as smokeless tobacco (ST), snuff, Khat, and Yerba mate, can change the color of restorative materials, such as lithium disilicate glass ceramics (LDGC). These changes can ultimately lead to treatment failure. Purpose: This in vitro study aimed to evaluate color changes, translucency, and opalescence of full anatomical LDGC crowns exposed to commonly used and potentially colorant solutions. Materials and methods: Ninety LDGC specimens/crowns were prepared and divided into nine groups according to immersion solution (control, Saudi Coffee, Cola, Khat, Yerba mate, Nescafe, ST Snuff, and Mixed Fruit Juice). The specimens were immersed in colorant solutions for 15 days with alternating twice daily at 37 degrees C. Color parameters were measured with a spectrophotometer and calculated using two backgrounds (black and white). Data were subjected to ANOVA followed by the Student t-test and Bonferroni test at a significant difference level (alpha = 0.05). Results: The greatest color change (Delta E*) among groups after immersion was observed in Yerba mate (7.6 +/- 1.6). The mean difference of before and after staining within Yerba mate group was 3.14 +/- 1.6 (p = 0.001). Translucency mean values of groups after immersion into staining media were ranging between 7.6 +/- 1.2 and 9.1 +/- 2, showing a slight decrease compared with prestaining values but was not significantly different. Immersion in Mixed Fruit Juice significantly reduced opalescence (7.4 +/- 1.9) compared to (8.8 +/- 1.7) before staining. Conclusion: The findings confirm that appropriate user guidance helps to preserve both translucency and opalescence as well as prevent color changes. This can improve patient compliance and promote treatment longevity.