Assessment of marginal leakage around Class II composite restorations in retrieved primary molars

The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate, by means of dye penetration, the microleakage around Class II composite restorations, in retrieved primary molars that functioned in the mouth for at least one year. The experimental material consisted of 13 exfoliated primary molars that had been restored with Herculite (Kerr Corporation, Romulus, Michigan 48174 USA) at least one year previously, utilizing an incremental or a bulk filling technique. The retrieved teeth were insulated with utility wax and nail polish, immersed in 2% basic fuchsin, embedded in acrylic resin, and ground off to various depths. The marginal leakage was assessed according the degree of dye penetration at the occlusal and cervical margins. No difference was observed between the two filling techniques. In most teeth, no leakage at the occlusal margins was observed; minimal leakage, limited to the enamel, was observed at the occlusal margins of two teeth, one of each filling technique. Severe penetration was evident at the cervical margin of three restorations, two of them filled incrementally and the third using the bulk technique. Mild to moderate penetration was observed at the cervical margin in the majority of the other restorations. It was concluded that an incremental filling technique could not eliminate microleakage at the cervical margins of Class II composite restorations.