Abstract
Aim: Patients using clear aligners remove their plates during every food and beverage consumption, except water, in order to prevent color changes that may occur in the thermoplastic material. However, in daily life, some patients continue their daily routines without removing their aligners, especially during beverage consumption. In this case, it affects the physical properties of the thermoplastic clear aligners. There are very few studies on the physical properties of thermoplastic materials. There is not enough guiding evidence in the literature in terms of informing patients. The aim of this study is to comparatively examine the color changes of clear aligners after exposure to staining agents.
Method: In our study; two different sets of clear aligners (Invisalign and Essix) were kept in an oven set at 37°C in black tea, coffee, cola, red wine and water for 6 days in each group with 5 specimens. Also, all specimens had thermal aging and values before and after were recorded with precision balance. Results were evaluated with SPSS software.
Results: In the Invisalign group, statistically significant coloration of wine was recorded, while black tea, cola, water and coffee did not make a significant difference. In the Essix group, coffee and wine were significantly colored, while black tea, water and cola did not show a significant color change. When both groups are compared with each other, there is no significant difference in the amount of coloration. Based on the 4-hour aging result using the thermal cycle, no statistically significant difference was found in the Essix group in terms of mass (gram). There was a statistically significant difference (in grams) in the Invisalign group.
Conclusion: As a result of the study, more color changes were observed in the Invisalign group compared to the Essix group, and the most effective change was recorded in the coffee solution. In addition, water absorption was observed more in the Invisalign group. It will be useful to share the results of our study with the patients before the treatment for informational purposes.