In the oral environment, be it superficial degradation
or a slight penetration and adsorption of
staining agents at the superficial layer of composite
resins, it can cause discoloration of the surface or
subsurface of resin restorations8).
The resin’s affinity
for extrinsic stains is modulated by its conversion
rate and physico-chemical characteristics - with
water sorption rate being of particular importance
9,10). Other important factors that affect
stainability are surface roughness, surface integrity,
and polishing technique. On this note, various finishing
and polishing techniques have been examined
with different types of resin composite to produce a
smooth surface.