Effect of different children’s toothpastes on compomer surface roughness: An in vitro study

Aim: To compare the effects of different children’s toothpastes on the surface roughness (Ra) of compomer materials under conditions simulating one year of toothbrushing. Methods: A total of 80 disc-shaped specimens prepared from a Dentsply Sirona compomer  material were polished and randomly assigned to five groups (n = 16): control (distilled water), Sensodyne Pronamel Kids, Chicka Chicka, The Humble Co. Kids, and Weleda Kids. Baseline surface roughness (Ra) values were recorded using a profilometer. Toothbrushing was performed using a brushing simulation in accordance with ISO standards, and postbrushing Ra measurements were obtained under identical conditions. Data distribution was assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test. Intergroup comparisons were conducted with the Kruskal–Wallis test, followed by the Dunn–Bonferroni post hoc test when appropriate, while intragroup comparisons were performed using the Wilcoxon test. The primary outcome variable was defined as ΔRa (α = 0.05). Results: No statistically significant differences were observed among the groups in terms of absolute Ra values at baseline or after brushing (p > 0.05). In all groups, Ra values showed a significant increase after brushing in intragroup analyses (p < 0.001). A significant difference was detected among the groups with respect to ΔRa values (p < 0.001). Post hoc analyses revealed that the increase in ΔRa was significantly higher in the Sensodyne Pronamel and Chicka Chicka groups compared with the control, The Humble Co. Kids, and Weleda Kids groups. Conclusions: Toothbrushing increased the surface roughness of compomer materials in all groups, with toothpaste formulation playing a determining role in this change. The Humble Co. Kids and Weleda Kids groups demonstrated more limited surface alterations in compomer restorations, as indicated by lower ΔRa values.