Effects of design features and restorative techniques on marginal leakage of MO composites: an in vitro study

Effects of clinical practices on marginal leakage of MO composite restorations were studied in vitro. Three design scenarios and three restorative techniques were studied. A total of 45 premolars were used, providing five specimens for each of the nine design-technique permutations. The extent of marginal leakage was measured under magnification, after soaking the samples in a dye and then sectioning each sample mesiodistally. No significant differences were found between the permutation groups, although some clinical practices resulted in a lowered mean amount of marginal leakage.