Effect of Prolonged Water Aging on the Bond Strength and Marginal Seal of Three Novel Restorative Materials

To assess and contrast the shear bond strength (SBS) and microbial leakage of Cention-N, Fuji IX, and nanohybrid composite restorative materials after being exposed to prolonged water aging.

A total of 30 self-curing acrylic blocks were prepared for SBS analysis. Extracted teeth were affixed on the acrylic resin to incorporate the root section. To expose the occlusal dentin, 3 mm of the midcoronal portion was sectioned. The sectioned samples were allocated into the following three groups: Group I: Fuji IX; group II: Filtek Z350; and group III: Cention-N. Cylindrical plastic tubing was used to place each material as directed by the manufacturer and water aging for 7, 14, and 28 days at 37°C. Also, a universal testing machine (UTM) was utilized for testing followed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). For microleakage analysis, a total of 30 class-V cavities were prepared. The prepared samples were allotted to respective groups; Later, 200 thermocycles at 5°C and 55°C were applied for 30 seconds to mimic the oral environment. The root apices sealed with sticky wax and the exception of a 1-mm around the edges of the restorations were then painted twice with clear nail varnish and submerged in 0.5% basic fuchsin dye at 37°C. Samples were washed, dried, and sectioned longitudinally followed by stereomicroscopic evaluation.

Groups I (0.083), group II (0.083), and group III (0.102) did not show significant variation in the SBS after water degradation. At the end of 28 days of water aging, group III showed 33.3% adhesive failure and 66.7% mixed failure mode. For marginal leakage in group III, the mean and standard deviation (SD) were 334.90 ± 418.454 with the p = 0.001 showing a significant difference compared to groups I and II.

Compared to nanohybrid composite and Fuji IX, Cention-N showed a superior SBS after being exposed to water aging and exhibited lesser marginal leakage.

Cention-N outperformed in its marginal adaptation with superior shear resistance and can be considered as an alternative bulk filling material.