Caries detector dyes: Do they stain only the caries?

Objective: Caries detector (CD) dyes aid in caries diagnosis by staining the organic matrix of less mineralized infected dentine. However, detector dyes are not specific to bacteria and can discolor surrounding healthy tissues as dentino-enamel junction or the circumpulpal dentine. Possible discoloring effect of CD dye over restorative materials have not been evaluated until date. The aim of this study was to investigate the staining effects of four commercial CD dyes Caries Detector (CAD), Caries Marker (CAM),SEEK (SEE), Sable Seek (SES) on a variety of tooth colored restorative materials; Filtek Valux Plus (VLX), Filtek Z250 (Z25), Filtek Silorane (SIL) Fuji IX (FUJ). Materials and Methods: A total of 40 disc-shaped specimens were prepared from each restorative material. After 24 h distilled water storage, baseline color was measured according to the Commission International de l′Eclairage LFNx01 aFNx01 bFNx01 system by using a reflection spectrophotometer. Each CD dye was applied to 10 samples of each composite group for 10 s and applications were repeated for 2 times. Before the final color measurements, all samples was rinsed and dried. Color differences (ΔE) were measured and analyzed the data with two-way analysis of variance and Tukey honest significant difference post-hoc tests. Results: Independent of dyes, perceptible color changes were observed in glass ionomer restorative material (FUJ) (ΔE ab FNx01 > 3.3). CAD, CAM and SES caused staining on highly triethylene glycol dimethacrylate monomer containing composite resin (VLX). Silorane based restorative material (SIL) and micro hybrid resin composite (Z25) were more resistant to discoloration then VLX and FUJ (P < 0.05). Conclusion: CD dyes may cause discolorations in some restorative materials and should be used with maximum care.