Some optical properties of resin composite veneer materials: a pilot study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the optical properties of some specimen materials with a view to establishing its behaviour under dry-storage and wet-storage conditions. The transmission of light through translucent composite materials used in veneering/masking procedures in dentistry may be affected by a number of factors including the storage conditions. Material and methods: The absorbency of refracted light was determined from the understanding of Beer-Lambert's Law. Results: Dry-storage over 9 months had little effect on absorbency, significant changes were observed after 3 months of wet storage. While this offers a vital trade-off between cost effectiveness and initial aesthetics, it still remains of interest to investigate whether the achieved colour at baseline stabilises over time and whether further deterioration in terms of colour and aesthetics diminishes.