Three-year Clinical Performance of Two Giomer Restorative Materials in Restorations

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Restorative Dentistry
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Giomer restorative materials offer unique properties combining glass ionomer and composite resin technologies.
• Evaluating the long-term clinical performance of novel restorative materials is crucial for evidence-based dental practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the three-year clinical performance of a flowable giomer and a conventional giomer restorative material in Class I restorations.
• To assess various clinical parameters including color match, marginal integrity, retention, and secondary caries.

Main Methods:

• A clinical trial involving 88 Class I restorations placed using either Beautifil Flow Plus F00 or Beautifil II giomer materials.
• Restorations were evaluated at baseline and after three years using modified United States Public Health Service criteria.
• Statistical analysis included Fisher's exact and McNemar tests to compare performance over time and between materials.

Main Results:

• No instances of retention loss, postoperative sensitivity, secondary caries, or color change were observed for either material.
• Conventional giomer (Beautifil II) showed a significant decline in marginal integrity, marginal discoloration, and surface anatomic form at 36 months compared to baseline.
• Flowable giomer (Beautifil Flow Plus F00) demonstrated stable clinical performance across all evaluated criteria over the three-year period.
• No statistically significant difference in overall clinical performance was found between the two giomer materials after 36 months.

Conclusions:

• Both conventional and flowable giomer restorative materials demonstrate very good clinical performance in Class I restorations after three years.
• While the conventional giomer showed some degradation in specific parameters, the overall clinical outcomes were comparable to the flowable giomer at the three-year mark.
• The findings support the use of both giomer materials for Class I restorations, with the flowable option showing greater stability in marginal and surface characteristics over time.