THE EFFECT OF EROSIVE CHALLENGE ON THE SURFACE PROPERTIES OF FLOWABLE RESIN COMPOSITES

Abstract

Flowable resin composites are indicated for restoring non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs); however, concerns persist regarding their physical properties and wear resistance. Acid erosion, an etiological factor of NCCLs, affects surface roughness—a critical consideration in material selection. This study investigated the surface roughness of flowable resin composite, high-strength flowable resin composite, and nanofilled resin composite before and after 20-day erosive challenge. Three resin composites were tested (n=10 per material): nanofilled (Z350XT; 3M ESPE), flowable (Filtek Flow; 3M ESPE), and high-strength flowable (G-ænial; GC Corporation). Each material was subdivided into baseline (T0) and 20-day erosive challenge (T20) groups (n=5 each). Specimens were exposed to citric acid (pH 2.3), and surface roughness was measured using laser scanning microscopy (Olympus LEXT OLS5100). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and comparative analysis. Results showed nanofilled composite exhibited significantly higher surface roughness at both timepoints versus other groups. At T0, high-strength flowable composite demonstrated significantly greater roughness than flowable composite; however, at T20, no significant difference existed between these two materials. Within-group analysis revealed significantly increased surface roughness from T0 to T20 for both nanofilled and flowable composites, whereas high-strength flowable composite showed no significant change. This study concluded that 20-day erosive challenge significantly affected surface roughness of flowable and nanofilled resin composites more than high-strength flowable composite.

Keywords: Flowable Resin Composite, High-Strength Flowable Resin Composite, Erosive Challenge, Surface Roughness, Non-Carious Cervical Lesions