Comparison of radiopacity of different composite resins

BACKGROUND The radiopacity of composite resins has been considered as an important requirement, improving the radiographic diagnosis. AIM The present study aimed to compare the radiopacity of eight different composite materials using an aluminum step wedge. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eight different composite resins were used in this study. The samples were prepared using a stainless steel mold (2 × 8), and a 2-mm-thickness horizontal section was obtained from the freshly extracted molar tooth. Three different radiographs were taken by establishing standard conditions. Mean gray values were obtained by taking three measurements from each step of both the tooth and the aluminum step wedge, and the aluminum thickness equivalents were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way variance analysis and Tukey's test (P < 0.05). RESULTS All aluminum thickness equivalents were found to be higher than those of the enamel and dentin, except Clearfil Majesty Esthetic (2.23 mm ± 0.52 mm) and Filtek Silorane (3.67 mm ± 0.15 mm) (P < 0.05). The Clearfil Majesty Posterior (8.50 mm ± 0.10 mm) and Arabesk Top (8.17 mm ± 0.06 mm) were found to be the most radiopaque composites. CONCLUSION All composite resin materials tested in this study were confirmed to the International Standards Organization 4049 standards. However, since radiopacity is not the only criterion for clinical use, it is a better approach to take all other properties of the materials into consideration.