Effect of pressure upon wall-to-wall polymerization contraction of a chemically-cured resin

The marginal gaps of 105 Silar fillings were measured after application of a load between zero and 100 N on the matrix during the initial polymerization. The fillings were placed in non-etched dentin cavities in extracted human teeth. The dentin surrounding the cavities was either roughened with carborundum paper No. 220 or polished with Alfa Micropolish 1 micron before the cavities were filled. When load was applied to the matrix, no effect was found of the roughness surrounding the cavities, but without load the wall-to-wall contraction was significantly greater in cavities where the surrounding dentin surfaces had been polished with Alfa Micropolish. Apparently the effect of load was related to friction during the polymerization between filling surplus and the dentin surrounding the cavities and not to load per se.