ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Oral Health
Sec. Oral Cancers
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/froh.2025.1658558
This article is part of the Research TopicNext-Generation Technologies and Multidisciplinary Integration for Oral Cancer Diagnosis and TreatmentView all 3 articles
Terrestrial Radiotherapy Alters Microhardness and Surface Micromorphology of Dental Restorative Materials: An In Vitro Study
Provisionally accepted
- 1Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Mangalore, India
- 2Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
- 3Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Mangaluru, India
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Background: Therapeutic radiotherapy, commonly used in the treatment of head and neck cancers, may alter the mechanical and surface properties of restorative dental materials. Understanding these changes is essential for ensuring the long-term success of restorations in oncology patients. Methods: An in vitro study was conducted on 90 disc-shaped specimens (n = 30 each) of three restorative materials: 3M™ Filtek™ Bulk Fill, Charisma Topaz One, and Cention N. Samples were subjected to two radiation protocols: (i) 70 Gy in 35 fractions (2 Gy/day), and (ii) 45 Gy in 5 fractions (9 Gy/day). Vickers microhardness testing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed 48 hours post-irradiation. Results: Filtek™ Bulk Fill exhibited the highest pre-radiation hardness (83.1 ± 2.3 HV), followed by Charisma Topaz One (74.5 ± 2.8 HV) and Cention N (69.8 ± 2.1 HV). After exposure to 70 Gy, a statistically significant reduction in microhardness was observed across all materials (p < 0.05), with Bulk Fill remaining the least affected (74.3 ± 2.1 HV). SEM images confirmed surface degradation in all groups, with varying degrees of filler particle exposure. Conclusions: Ionizing radiation alters both microhardness and surface morphology of restorative materials, with bulk-fill composites demonstrating greater resilience. These findings warrant further investigation in vivo to understand long-term clinical implications.
Keywords: Ionizing radiation, microhardness, micromorphology, Bulk-fill composite, SEM analysis, head and neck cancer, Radiation-induced Dental Effects, Good health and well-being
Received: 02 Jul 2025; Accepted: 01 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Walia, Mallya, MS, Lobo and Shenoy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Laxmish Mallya, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Mangalore, India
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