Effects of Chili Sauce on the Absorbency and Diametral Tensile Strength of Nanocomposite

Absorbency and solubility of nanofilled resin composite (nanocomposite) affect its strength and durability. Furthermore, exposure to acids in the oral cavity such as chili sauce also reduces the mechanical and physical properties of composite resin restoration. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effect of chili sauce on nanocomposite absorbency and diametral tensile strength. Thirty-three nanocomposite samples in cylindrical shape were divided into 3 groups (n=11); immediate control (1), control (2) immersed for 24 hours in distilled water and treated (3) soaked for 8 hours in distilled water and 16 hours in chili sauce solution. All samples were immersed for 4 days in a 37
⁰
C incubator. Absorbency was measured according to the difference of weight before and after immersion, while the diametral tensile strength was measured using Universal Testing Machine. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) in diametral tensile strength among groups; group 1 and 3 were stronger than group 2 by 10.8% and 13.4%, but group 1 was not significantly (1.2%) weaker than group 3. No significant difference was found (p>0.05) in the absorbency test, although group 3 is 16% higher than group 2. Therefore, chili sauce affects the diametral tensile strength of nanocomposite significantly, but not its absorbency.