Material-Specific Surface Degradation of Pediatric Dental Restorations Following Iron Supplement Exposure: An In-Vitro Study

Introduction This study aimed to evaluate the material-specific effects of pediatric iron supplement exposure on the surface roughness of commonly used restorative materials. Methods In this in vitro study, two pediatric iron formulations, Ferrum® and Ferro Sanol® B, were tested on four restorative materials: composite resin, compomer, flowable composite, and glass ionomer cement (GIC). A total of 180 cylindrical specimens (5 × 3 mm) were prepared and allocated into twelve subgroups (n = 15). Specimens were immersed daily for two minutes in the assigned solutions and stored in distilled water between exposures. Surface roughness (Ra, μm) was measured at baseline, day one, day seven, and day 28 using a contact profilometer. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni and Tukey post hoc tests (p < 0.05). Results All restorative materials showed significant time-dependent increases in surface roughness (p < 0.001). At day 28, glass ionomer cement exhibited the highest Ra values under all conditions (control: 4.03 ± 0.97 μm; Ferrum®: 5.24 ± 0.99 μm; Ferro Sanol® B: 5.95 ± 1.82 μm). Resin-based materials demonstrated lower but significant roughness increases, with composite resin, compomer, and flowable composite showing greater Ra values after iron supplement exposure compared with controls (p < 0.05). Ferro Sanol® B generally induced higher roughness than Ferrum® at later time points, particularly in resin-based materials. Conclusion Exposure to pediatric iron supplements results in material-specific surface degradation of restorative materials. GIC is the most susceptible, while resin-based materials exhibit greater resistance, highlighting the importance of careful material selection in pediatric patients undergoing long-term iron supplementation.