Microleakage of resin-based composite restorations with ceramic inserts

To evaluate dye penetration of proximal vertical slot resin-based composite (RBC) restorations as a function of cavity size and restorative material employed (RBC, ceramic inserts with low-viscosity resin, and RBC with low-viscosity resin liner). Microleakage was measured using rank scoring and linear measurement of dye penetration and ANOVA and non-parametric tests were used to evaluate the statistical significance of the results.

Ninety erupted crack- and caries-free mandibular third molars, extracted for orthodontic reasons, were used. Proximal vertical slots were prepared on the mesial surfaces of the teeth using diamond instruments at high speed under distilled water coolant. Teeth were placed randomly into nine groups. Three sizes of diamond burs of an ultrasonic cavity preparation system were used under low energy in order to standardize cavity size and shape, each tip size being used in 30 different teeth. The gingival margins were prepared 1 mm above the cemento-enamel junction. Specimens were etched, prepared with bonding agent, restored using three different materials, and immersed in a 50% AgNO3 solution for 8 hrs and sectioned to evaluate the dye penetration.

Statistical analysis revealed no statistically significant differences among the nine groups.