Can the use of surface sealant on restorative materials prevent discoloration related to iron syrup supplements?

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of surface sealants on the stain resistance of restorative materials exposed to iron syrups. Methods Sixty specimens were prepared from each of three restorative materials—compomer (Dyract XP), a microhybrid composite (Filtek Z250), and a nanohybrid composite (G-aenial Anterior). Specimens were divided into three solution groups ( n = 20) and immersed in two iron syrups (Ferrum and Ferro Sanol B) and distilled water. Two subgroups, sealed (BisCover ( +)) and unsealed (BisCover (–)), were established for each group ( n = 10). Color changes between baseline and measurements at 4, 8, 24, 48, and 72 h were calculated with CIEDE2000 (Δ E 00 ) metrics. Data were analyzed with 4-factor mixed-design ANOVA. Results The first null hypothesis of this study that the use of surface sealant would not mitigate the restorative materials’ susceptibility to staining was rejected: significant differences were found between BisCover ( +) and BisCover (−) groups in Δ E 00 values for all restorative materials tested in Ferro Sanol B ( p < 0.001) and Ferrum ( p = 0.002) solutions. The Δ E 00 values in the Ferro Sanol B/BisCover ( +) groups were significantly lower than in Ferrum/BisCover ( +) groups ( p = 0.002), the second null hypothesis that different forms of iron syrups would not impact the staining resistance of restorative materials was rejected. Δ E 00 values were different for each restorative materials tested, the third null hypothesis that the type of restorative material would not affect staining resistance was rejected. Conclusions The application of surface sealant significantly improved the color stability of restorative materials. The content of iron syrups was also an important factor affecting color change. Nanohybrid composites seem to be more resistant to the staining effects of iron syrups.