Microleakage and penetration ability of resin sealant versus bonding system when applied following contamination

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the microleakage and penetration ability of sealing materials applied under different conditions of contamination. Methods: One hundred twenty extracted human molar teeth were randomly assigned to 12 groups. The treatment groups were defined by the combination of sealing materials (Concise; Optibond system; Optibond system plus Concise) and 4 surface conditions (no moisture and no saliva contamination; moisture contamination; dried saliva contamination; wet saliva contamination). Each tooth was subjected to thermal cycling (5, 000 cycles at 5°C-550C) with a dwell time of 30 seconds and dye immersion (5% methylene blue for 24 hours). Microleakage, penetration ability, and fissure types were examined after sectioning. Multiple regression analyses and the Tukey test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Concise showed significantly less microleakage than the Optibond system (P<.031) when the procedures were performed under no contamination or moisture contamination. However, when Concise was applied on the wet saliva-contaminated surfaces, considerably higher microleakage and unfilled areas were found compared to the use of Optibond alone or Optibond with Concise (P<.001). Conclusions: When there is saliva contamination, the use of Optibond alone or with Concise is beneficial for decreasing microleakage and increasing the penetration ability of sealants.