The Effect of Mouth Wash Containing Chlorhexidine on Force Degradation of Colored Elastomeric Chains

Background colored elastomeric chains exhibit different performance of force degradation with time. The aims of the current study are estimation of the effect of chlorhexidine mouth wash on force degradation of colored elastomeric chains at different time intervals. Materials and method A total of 240 elastomeric chain pieces (closed type) of three colors (transparent, pearl lilac, and crystal yellow) with an initial length 19mm and extend 29mm. These elastic chains divided into two groups one immersed in distilled water (control group) and the other cyclically immersed between distilled water and chlorhexidine mouth wash (test group), these elastic chains incubated in covered glass containers contain distilled water at 37Cfor the entire testing period. Then the force measured by digital force gauge at different time intervals T0, T1, T2, and T3. Results Comparison of the effect of different immersion media on load value (gf) which showed highly significant difference (for transparent and crystal yellow separately at T1, T2, andT3, and for pearl lilac at T2 and T3), while it showed non-significant difference (for transparent and crystal yellow separately at T0 and for pearl lilac at T1), and showed significant difference (for pearl lilac at T0). As time progress the load value (gf) decreased which is obvious in repeated measure ANOVA test followed by Bonferroni test both showed highly significant difference. Comparison of the effect of different colors of elastomeric chain on the load value by repeated measure ANOVA test followed by Bonferroni test both showed statistically highly significant difference, except between crystal yellow and pearl lilac at T1 and T2 which showed non-significant difference. The mean of percentage of force decay increased with time. Conclusion the use of chlorhexidine mouth wash will decrease the load value of the elastomeric chains used in this study, and transparent elastomeric chains deliver the highest initial force and have a lesser force decay than crystal yellow and pearl lilac elastomeric chains.