Effect of Home Bleaching on the Optical Properties and Surface Roughness of Novel Aesthetic Dental Ceramics

The optical qualities of cutting-edge aesthetic dental ceramics are crucial for great aesthetics and may be impacted by various bleaching methods. The objectives of this study were to evaluate how home bleaching affected the translucency parameter (TP), contrast ratio (CR), total color difference (ΔE), and surface roughness (Ra) of various aesthetic dental ceramics, including innovative ultra-translucent zirconia. The three varieties of ceramics that were tested—IPS e.max-Press (IPS); classic zirconia with feldspathic layering (LZr); and translucent zirconia (TZr)—were each represented by seven samples. The samples were bleached at home using 15% carbamide peroxide for six hours a day for seven days. Each specimen’s pre- and post-bleaching CIE L*a*b* values were measured using a spectrophotometer, and the TP, CR, and ΔE were determined. Ra values were measured via 3D profilometry. In comparison to the pre-stage results, statistical analysis showed a significant decrease in TP and increase in CR for LZr and TZr in the post-stage (p < 0.05), but not for IPS (p = 0.398). The results also showed substantial variations in ΔE for the three ceramics (p = 0.020). Ra readings during the post-stage were noticeably greater than those at the pre-stage (p = 0.018). Home bleaching had an impact on the optical characteristics and surface texture of the dental ceramics. Additionally, IPS had greater color stability than LZr and TZr.