In this study, two hypotheses were rejected, because material/polishing method, BLE, beverages and PDP led to discoloration of the tested materials. The ∆E00 color difference formula is reported to be superior to the previously used formula (∆Eab) in terms of perceptibility and acceptability of color difference [36]. This formula, developed by the CIE in 2013, is considered the standard for color difference detection [37]. The ∆Eab formula basically measures the distance between two points in color space, whereas the ∆E00 formula includes the luminance effect by adding SL. Therefore, the ∆E00 color difference formula was chosen for this study. In previous studies testing CAD-CAM FC [31], ZLS [32] and HC [33], 0.8/1.8 was found to be appropriate for PT/AT values; therefore, 0.8/1.8 was chosen for PT/AT in this study.
A limitation of this study is the possibility that spectrophotometers may introduce edge loss error [38]. Despite this possibility, contact spectrophotometers are widely used to detect color differences in translucent materials [39]. Previous studies had shown that the Vita Easyhade spectrophotometer could be used for teeth [40], polymethylmethacrylates [41], resin composites [42] and ceramics [15]. Klotz et al. [43] reported that the Vita Easyshade device gave reliable results, even to the extent that it was not affected by environmental light. Dozic et al. [44] stated that Vita Easyshade can make reliable measurements compared with some colorimeters and digital cameras and explained that these three different types of devices can be tested in in vitro studies. Igiel et al. [45] stated that given their accuracy (from 66.8–92.6%) and precision (from 87.4–99.0%), it is an excellent example among color determination methods. Therefore, the Vita Easyshade V device was used in this study. A custom made color booth was prepared to ensure standardization and to prevent the ambient light from causing errors [26].
According to the results, the color change exceeded the AT after 28 days in all specimens, regardless of the beverage in which they were immersed, except for FC-GLA and HC specimens immersed in DIS. Between day 1 and day 14, AT was exceeded in all other specimens, except for ZLS-GLA immersed in DIS, ENE or SAM. From day 14 to day 28, AT was exceeded only in FC-GLA immersed in DIS and not in HC immersed in DIS, ENE or SAM. When the color change values obtained from BAS to day 1, BAS to day 14 or BAS to day 28 were examined, no specimens, regardless of the beverage in which they were immersed, had a color change lower than PT.
In this study, a new HP formula (25% HPS) was used for in-office BLE. In this study, BLE was found to be influenced in color change of restorative materials, which was consistent with previous studies [12, 46–49]. In this study, CAD-CAM HC was more influenced by BLE than ceramics. Yılmaz and Gul [10] reported that materials containing resin composites can be influenced by external factors due to the monomer and particle structure of the organic matrix. Conventional in-office BLE gels mostly contain 30–35% HP [10, 11]. It has been reported by the manufacturer that 25% HPS has a different content than conventional in-office BLE gels and therefore is more effective [13]. It was necessary to investigate this claim. In previous studies [12, 46] the 6% formulation of HPS used for at-home BLE was tested and the magnitude of the effect was found increased with time. In this study, 25% HPS produced a similarly noticeable effect on the materials tested. According to the results, at the end of 28 days, the color change did not exceed AT in FC-GLA, ZLS-POL and HC specimens without BLE, but exceeded it in specimens with BLE (p = 0.0239, p = 0.0091, p = 0.0273, respectively). These results were possibly due to the amount of content and concentration. In contrast to conventional BLE gels, HPS contains CP and vinyl pyrrolidone peroxide in combination, as well as heat-reversible poloxamer to adjust the viscosity. When the gel comes into contact with the tooth surface, an exothermic reaction cycle occurs, resulting in an increase in the magnitude of the effect.
When the BLE agent contacts the surface of a ceramic material for a long time, it may cause surface deterioration as in resin composites [10, 11, 22]. Free radicals such as H+ and H3O+ produced by alkali ions infiltrate into the material matrix and cause dissolution of ceramic glass networks, disintegration of SiO2 and K2O2 components, abrasion of the surface, destruction of chromogens and formation of a less light-reflecting surface [22, 50]. The quality of surface polishability reduces the magnitude of exposure to external factors [49]. Alshali et al. [48] reported that the polishability quality may change depending on the material structure. In this study, when the results of BLE treated ceramic specimens after 28 days were analysed, it was found that mechanically polished FC was more influenced than glazed FC, mechanically polished ZLS was more influenced than glazed FC and ceramics were more influenced than hybrid ceramics (p < 0.0001).
Previous studies [49, 51] had reported that the application time is significant in the effect of BLE on ceramics. Similar to this study, the number of studies in which glazed and mechanically polished ceramics were examined together is insufficient, and studies [21, 23, 47, 52] found that glazed surfaces were less affected than mechanically polished surfaces in parallel with this study. The researchers reported that the magnitude of the effect of BLE is related to the application time.
The different structural properties of the materials may influence the magnitude of BLE damage. In previous studies [53–55], researchers have reported that the crystal phase structure, shape, size, and material content of the materials are influential in the external exposure of ceramic surfaces, but it is difficult to determine which is the primary factor. Further studies on this subject are necessary. In this study, at the end of 28 days, the magnitude of the effect of BLE was FC-POL > FC-GLA = ZLS-POL > ZLS-GLA > HC, respectively (p < 0.0001).
FCs have a silicate-based microstructure with 4 µm grains, while ZLSs have a glassy, lithium disilicate-containing microstructure in which needle-shaped particles coexist with zirconia particles (56–58). Ramos et al. [58] reported that the pores of FCs are well coated by glazing, so they are resistant to external factors. Similarly, glazing can provide a better shield against external factors in ZLSs. In this study, mechanical polishing exhibited higher resistance to external factors compared to glazing, which may be due to the lack of a glaze layer that protects the porous structure of FC and the long-irregular rod structure of ZLS with zirconia particles. The microstructural character of HC, which contains oxygen, silicon, aluminium, sodium and potassium in a similar ratio to ceramics, may have been effective in the color change of HC that exceeds AT similar to ceramics [58, 59].
Dental materials can be discolored over time by saliva or acidic beverages [60–62]. In this study, RedBull energy beverage with a pH of 3.18 was used [19]. Silva et al. [19] reported that the surface degrading effect of RedBull varied with consumption frequency and time. Mosallam et al. [23] found that even when carbon dioxide evaporated from energy beverages, the pH level remained low. Dos Santos et al. [63] reported that citric acid in carbonated beverages is the main factor for material surface degradation. Acidic beverages for dental ceramics cause selective extraction of alkali metal ions with low stabilisation in the glass matrix. Insufficient polymerisation of the material, water absorption and the pigment type of the beverage for resin-containing ceramics are important factors [64]. ENE and SAM used in this study, contain citric acid and staining pigments. The staining pigments contained in these beverages possibly caused the discoloration and over time the acid caused the surface of the material to deteriorate, facilitating the retention of the pigment.
In this study, FC-POL immersed in ENE had the highest color change after 28 days (∆E00 = 5.4, p = 0.0002) and HC immersed in DIS had the lowest color change (∆E00 = 1.3, p = 0.0001). Hybrid ceramics may be more resistant to color change because they contain different types and amounts of resins than conventional resin composites [17]. According to the BLE-beverage interaction, at the end of 28 days, the highest color change was found in the specimens with BLE and immersed in ENE (∆E00 = 3.5, p = 0.0496), and the lowest in the specimens without BLE and immersed in SAM (∆E00 = 1.9, p = 0.0074). When the literature was reviewed, no study on the effect of energy beverages on HC was found, but a few studies [18,20 on the effect of energy beverages on ZLS were found and in these studies, it was reported that low pH and dietary habits affected on the effect of energy beverages on discoloration. Since energy beverage consumption increased especially in young people after the Covid-19 pandemic, this type of study was needed [20]. The other beverage whose consumption increased after Covid-19 was an immune-boosting beverage with Sambucus Nigra, and there was no evidence in the literature on the effect of this beverage on the color of dental materials.
There are many studies investigating the effect of beverages on the color of restorative materials. These studies mostly include beverages such as tea, coffee, cola, and wine [1, 5, 8, 18]. There is no study in the literature on the effect of black elderberry immune-boosting beverage, whose consumption has increased since the Covid-19 pandemic due to its antiviral properties, on the color of ceramic [65, 66]. Tokuc and Sukur (65) evaluated resin composites for white spot lesions in their study on children's teeth. Consistent with this study, Sambucus Nigra caused clinically unacceptable color change. In this study, after 28 days, SAM tended to produce a color change similar to DIS. The fact that the specimens had been subjected to BLE increased the magnitude of color change due to SAM.
PDP is a polishing procedure that the majority of clinicians perform after prosthetic treatment to remove discoloration and plaque deposits [67]. Nowadays, a new generation of PDP pastes with lower dentin abrasiveness has been developed and their effects on dental materials should be investigated. This study is in agreement with the study of Elhamid and Mosallam [23] who investigated the effect of PDP on resin composites. Depending on the type of paste, the effect of PDP on the surface may differ [68]. In this study, a paste containing fine silica particles with a RDA of 7 was used. According to the findings of this study, PDP is effective for restoring the color of materials discolored by beverages. This restoring effect was most successful in ZLS-GLA and HC for ENE, FC-GLA, ZLS-GLA and HC for DIS, and FC-POL and HC for SAM. Regardless of the beverage, when BLE and non-BLE specimens were compared, color recovery was more successful in non-BLE specimens; HC and ZLS-GA were superior to other materials in this respect. Regardless of the material, when evaluated in terms of BLE-beverage, color recovery was better in all specimens without BLE and immersed in DIS, ENE or SAM compared to those with BLE.
A limitation of this study is that intraoral conditions cannot be fully simulated. Exposing both sides of the specimens to beverages does not fully represent clinical scenarios where only one side is mostly exposed to colorants. This study adds to the literature in many ways, but future in vivo and in vitro studies are needed to investigate the effects of immune-boosting beverages, energy beverages, bleaching and new PDP paste on the surface properties of newly developed CAD-CAM materials.