The discoloring effects of food on the color stability of esthetic brackets--an in-vitro study.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the discoloring effect of certain foods on the color stability of esthetic brackets made of different materials.


METHODS
Ten specimens of six different tooth-colored brackets were immersed for 10 days at 37 degrees C in various solutions (de-ionized water, tea, coffee, red wine, orange juice, curry and cress) or exposed to accelerated photo-aging (150 KJ/ m(2), 340 nm). Using the Easyshade device, the brackets were analyzed at the beginning of the experiment and after ultrasound-cleaning daily thereafter for ten days according to CIELCh coordinates lightness, chroma and hue. Our results were evaluated using the SPSS-12.0 statistical program and subjected to the Kruskal-Wallis and/or Mann-Whitney U tests.


RESULTS
The results can be divided into three types of reactions. The brackets exposed to UV light, cress or orange juice showed no visible discoloration. The measured color differences remained in the same range as the measurements for brackets in the control group. All brackets immersed in red wine, tea or coffee showed similar reactions, with a sharp increase in discoloration after 5 days (corresponding to high consumption). In the curry solution, the brackets made of polyoxymethylene became immediately discolored; all other bracket types showed no visible reaction.


CONCLUSIONS
This in-vitro test can only simulate the actual intra-oral situation, but the results seem to demonstrate that the consumption of certain foods greatly influences to what extent the color of tooth-colored brackets changes.
Wriedt
Susanne
S
Poliklinik für Kieferorthopädie, Klinikum der Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität, Augustusplatz 2, 55131 Mainz, Germany. wriedt@kieferortho.klinik.uni-mainz.de
Schepke
Ulf
U
Wehrbein
Heiner
H
D003116:Color; D003124:Colorimetry; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005502:Food; D005505:Food Coloring Agents; D016910:Orthodontic Brackets
D005505:Food Coloring Agents