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Tan BL, Yap AUJ et al. Oper Dent 2015; 40: E56–65. 10.2341/149027-L.

Tooth-coloured restorative materials stain. But how do the staining characteristics of giomers (that combine resin-based composite and pre-reacted glass ionomer) compare with that of other tooth-coloured restorative materials? Forty-two specimens (shade A2) were formed from each of two different types of giomer, two nanocomposites, and two different types of resin-modified glass-ionomer cement. The CIELAB colorimetric system was used to measure colour differences and translucency before and after immersion of specimens for 7 days in staining solutions. Coffee and red wine consistently resulted in visible staining. The resin-modified glass ionomers were most susceptible to staining compared with the nanocomposites and giomers. The nanofilled version of the resin-modified glass ionomer performed better than the conventional material. When considering the relative resistance to staining of the flowable giomer, a possible reason was its higher TEGDMA content, with decreased water sorption and staining. Not surprisingly, those materials that stained the most, showed the greatest reduction in translucency.