Effect of Cervical Restorations on Periodontal Health: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Cervical restorations are commonly used to manage cervical lesions and defects involving the tooth structure near the gingival margin. Understanding the periodontal response associated with cervical restorations is essential for improving the long-term restorative success and periodontal stability. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of cervical restorations on periodontal health and assess the influence of restoration margin position and restorative material type on periodontal parameters. Materials and methods This observational cross-sectional, split-mouth study included 120 teeth in 60 patients, divided into cervical restoration group (n = 60) and contralateral healthy teeth as control (n = 60) group. The periodontal parameters assessed included plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing pocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment level (CAL). Restorations were further categorized according to margin location as supragingival, equigingival, or subgingival and according to restorative materials such as composite resin, glass ionomer cement (GIC), and resin-modified GIC (RMGIC). Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Dunn-Bonferroni post hoc analysis, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results The restored group demonstrated significantly higher PI, GI, PPD, and CAL values than did the control group (p < 0.001). Subgingival restorations exhibited the highest periodontal parameter values, whereas supragingival restorations exhibited the lowest values (p < 0.001). Composite resin restorations demonstrated significantly poorer periodontal outcomes than GIC and RMGIC restorations (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between GIC and RMGIC restorations (p > 0.05). Conclusions Cervical restorations are associated with poorer periodontal health, particularly when restoration margins are placed subgingivally. Composite resin restorations have demonstrated less favorable periodontal outcomes than glass ionomer-based materials. Appropriate restorative material selection, careful margin placement, and regular periodontal maintenance are important for preserving periodontal health around cervical restorations.