Color stability of carious incipient lesions located in enamel and treated with resin infiltration or remineralization

Objective. In this in vitro study, the color change of artificial caries lesions in enamel was evaluated after resin infiltration (Icon (R), DMG, Hamburg, Germany) or remineralization. Methods. Bovine enamel specimens (n = 72) were randomly divided into four groups: G1 - exposure to demineralizing solution (32 h) and resin infiltration; G2 - immersion in demineralizing solution and remineralization cycles (8 days); G3 - demineralizing solution (negative control); G4 - healthy/non-reated enamel (positive control). The groups were subdivided and immersed in: A (saliva), B (coffee), and C (wine). The baseline color was evaluated by spectrophotometer and repeated after 4 and 8 weeks, and after polishing, at the end of 8 weeks. The variation in color (Delta E) and lightness (Delta L) was analyzed by ANOVA (two-way) and Tukey tests, and Friedman and Kruskal-Wallis tests, respectively. Results. All specimens underwent color and lightness change, irrespective of immersion medium. In coffee, G2 presented the lowest mean Delta E (P < 0.05), compared with the other groups. In saliva, G3 presented the highest mean Delta E, and G2 and G4 lower.Delta E means. Conclusion. Lesions infiltrated with Icon (R) underwent greater color change when compared with remineralized lesions, which may represent an esthetic disadvantage for the first-mentioned treatment.