Evaluation of the Amount of Fluoride Release and Micro Hardness of Enamel Adjacent to Different Fluoride Releasing Restorative Materials

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the remineralizing effects of three fluoride releasing restorative materials by determining their fluoride release and the micro hardness of enamel adjacent to these restorative materials. Standard cavities (3x1.5x1.5 mm size) were prepared on buccal surfaces of extracted human molar teeth. Half of the cavities were filled with dental wax and served as control and the other halves were restored with a conventional restorative glass ionomer/Fuji Bulk (FB), a glass hybrid/Equia Forte (EF), or a giomer/Beautifil Bulk (BB) (n=8). Teeth were subjected to a de-/remineralization cycle for 5 days. Fluoride release was measured by a fluoride ion selective electrode and micro hardness of adjacent enamel was evaluated with a universal hardness tester before and after pH cycling. The data were analyzed statistically (alpha=0.05). The highest fluoride release was observed in EF and the lowest was seen in BB (p < 0.0001). The lowest decrease in micro hardness was observed in FB and the highest was seen in BB. Fluoride releasing restorative materials stimulated the remineralization of adjacent dental hard tissue in-vitro.