OBJECTIVE: To assess the color stability of five types of ceramic brackets after immersion in potentially staining solutions. METHODS: Ninety brackets were divided into 5 groups (n = 18) according to brackets commercial brands and the solutions in which they were immersed (coffee, red wine, coke and artificial saliva). The brackets assessed were Transcend (3M/Unitek, Monrovia, CA, USA), Radiance (American Orthodontics, Sheboygan, WI, USA), Mystique (GAC International Inc., Bohemia, NY, USA) and Luxi II (Rocky Mountain Orthodontics, Denver, CO, USA). Chromatic changes were analyzed with the aid of a reflectance spectrophotometer and by visual inspection at five specific time intervals. Assessment periods were as received from the manufacturer (T0), 24 hours (T1), 72 hours (T2), as well as 7 days (T3) and 14 days (T4) of immersion in the aforementioned solutions. Results were submitted to statistical analysis with ANOVA and Bonferroni correction, as well as to a multivariate profile analysis for independent and paired samples with significance level set at 5%. RESULTS: The duration of the immersion period influenced color alteration of all tested brackets, even though these changes could not always be visually observed. Different behaviors were observed for each immersion solution; however, brackets immersed in one solution progressed similarly despite minor variations. CONCLUSIONS: Staining became more intense over time and all brackets underwent color alterations when immersed in the aforementioned solutions.

ABSTRACT:The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible changes in color of aesthetic elastic ligatures soaked in different solutions. Five different brands of aesthetic elastic ligatures were evaluated in the present study. Measurement of the discs´ color was performed using a reflectance spectrophotometer (UV-visible spectrophotometer, UV-2450, Shimadzu®, Kyoto, Japan). Subsequently, the discs were immersed in artificial saliva (AS) or three different solutions: red wine (RW) (Miolo Terranova® 2010, Casa Nova, Brazil), coffee (CF) (Café Três Corações®, RioGrande do Norte, Brazil) or Coca-Cola® (CC) (Coca-Cola®, Belo Horizonte, Brazil). It was determined that the tested solutions were able to cause color changes in the aesthetic elastic ligatures. The coffee solution caused the greatest color change in all of the brands of ligatures evaluated, followed by the red wine solution. In conclusion, OSE and GAC brands of aesthetic elastic ligatures displayed the best performance.