Comparative evaluation of microhardness of three restorative materials after immersion in chlorhexidine mouthwash: An study.

Aim: To evaluate and compare the microhardness of Filtek Z250XT, Beautifil II, and Neo Spectra ST HV after immersion in chlorhexidine mouthwash.

Materials And Methods: Thirty disc specimens (10 for each group) made of three different restorative materials, Group 1 - Filtek (3M ESPE), Group 2 - Beautifil II (Shofu), and Group 3 - Neo Spectra ST HV (Dentsply). To simulate 1 year of daily mouthwash use, 10 specimens from each group were immersed in chlorhexidine, kept in an incubator at 37°C for 12 h, and later subjected to microhardness measurement using Vicker's hardness test. Finally, analysis of variance and post hoc tests were used to analyze the results statistically.

Results: A significant reduction in microhardness was observed after immersion in chlorhexidine in Groups 1 and 3 compared to Group 2.

Conclusions: Filtek Z250XT exhibits the highest microhardness compared to the other two materials. However, Beautifil II is more resistant to chlorhexidine mouthwash and does not show a significant reduction compared to the other two restorative materials.