Prepolymerization of Gluma 4 sealer: effect on bonding

This study evaluated the effect on microleakage of placing a composite resin over either cured or uncured Gluma 4 sealer. Class V preparations were placed at the cemento-enamel junction of extracted human molars. Herculite XR was used to restore cavities that had been pretreated with Gluma bonding system with the sealer being either uncured or cured prior to placing the restorative resin. The restored teeth were thermally stressed for 100 temperature cycles and placed in a dye solution for 24 hours. Microleakage was measured under a microscope at x50 magnification. Under the experimental conditions, leakage was significantly reduced when the sealer was pre-polymerized and an incremental composite resin placement technique was utilized.