Abstract
The purpose of this research was to determine and compare the impact of light curing on the water sorption and solubility properties of alkasite and bulk-fill glass hybrid materials. An alkasite self-adhesive bulk-fill material (Cention ® N, Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schaan, Liechtenstein; CEN) and a bulk-fill glass material hybrid (EQUIA Forte™ HT, GC Corp., Tokyo, Japan; EFT) were utilized. Each material was prepared in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Specimens were placed in disk-shaped molds and divided into two subgroups: light-cured (LC) and non-light-cured (NLC) (n = 5). Sorption and solubility tests were performed in accordance with ISO 4049 standards. Statistical analysis was conducted using one-way ANOVA, Tamhane’s T2 post hoc, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and independent samples t-tests (p < 0.05). The highest water sorption was observed in Group EFT (63.022 ± 6.772 μg/mm³), while the lowest was observed in Group CEN (4.447 ± 0.412 μg/mm³). No significant differences were detected among Groups CEN and CEN LC and Groups EFT and EFT LC (p > 0.05). Regarding water solubility, Group EFT LC (−99.534 ± 2.008 μg/mm³) exhibited the lowest values, while Group CEN (−2.728 ± 0.499 μg/mm³) demonstrated the highest values. No significant difference was found between Group CEN and CEN LC (p > 0.05), while a statistically significant difference was found between Group EFT and Group EFT LC (p < 0.05). A statistically significant difference was identified between Group CEN and Group EFT and between Group CEN LC and Group EFT LC in terms of both water sorption and solubility values (p < 0.05). The correlation analysis found no significant relationship between the sorption and solubility values for the materials examined (p > 0.05). Regarding water sorption, the self-adhesive bulk-fill material was superior to the bulk-fill glass hybrid material, whether light-cured or not. For water solubility, the bulk-fill glass hybrid material was superior to the self-adhesive bulk-fill material, whether light cured or not. The bulk-fill glass hybrid material exhibited reduced resistance to water sorption but a positive characteristic for water solubility. This short-term in vitro study provides a foundation for the evaluation of early-stage water-material interaction, which is essential for comprehending the behaviour of the material.
Keywords: Water sorption; water solubility; alkasite; bulk-fill glass hybrid; light curing