Restoration removal with and without the aid of magnification

This study aims to quantify any cavity size change following removal of tooth-coloured restorations in vitro using unaided vision and 2.6 x magnification. Occlusal composite restorations were removed under simulated clinical conditions and changes in cavity size were measured, blind to method, using standardized photographs. The outline of the cavity was digitized and its area was used as a surrogate for cavity size. The change in cavity size was determined for unaided vision and 2.6 x magnification, with any differences between the techniques investigated. There were significant increases in cavity size using both techniques and although the increase in size was less when magnification was used, the difference was not statistically significant. Cavity size changes significantly during re-restoration and the use of magnification may be of benefit for some clinicians in reducing the size of the change.