Assessment of microleakage of restorative materials by a diffusion model

The time-dependent microleakage behaviour of two types of restorative materials, a microfilled composite resin and a glass ionomer, was studied. A dentine bonding agent was also included. This study was based on a diffusion model of microleakage. It was found that the initial gap sizes of the restorations increased progressively for restorations microfilled with bonding agent, microfilled alone, and glass ionomers, in that order. Analysis of microleakage over some periods suggests that the gap size of the restorations by microfilled with bonding agent may increase with time, and that while restorations by glass ionomer and microfilled composite resin decrease in gap sizes with time, glass ionomer restorations show a faster rate of decrease.