EFFECT OF A SURFACE SEALANT ON MICROLEAKAGE OF CLASS-V RESTORATIONS

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a low-viscosity surface-penetrating sealant on microleakage around Class V restorations. Materials and Me thods: Box-shaped Class V preparations were made in the facial and lin gual surfaces of 50 extracted human teeth. Occlusal margins were in en amel and gingival margins were in dentin/cementum. Preparations were r estored with the following systems (n = 20): Dentin Conditioner + Fuji II LC; ProBond primer + VariGlass VLC; OptiBond + XRV Herculite; Scot chbond Multi-Purpose + Silux Plus; and Scotchbond Multi-Purpose + Rest orative Z100. Half of the restorations in each group were randomly sel ected and sealed with Fortify resin immediately after finishing and po lishing. Specimens were thermocycled 500x between 5 degrees and 55 deg rees C and subjected to a silver nitrate microleakage test. Penetratio n of the silver nitrate tracer was evaluated and recorded using a 0-4 ordinal scale. Data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical tes ts. Results: All of the restorative systems had very little leakage at enamel margins, regardless of whether the resin sealant was used. Eac h of the systems except VariGlass had minimal leakage at unsealed dent in margins also. Application of the resin sealant significantly reduce d leakage at the interface between VariGlass and dentin or cementum, b ut had no effect on the other restorative systems.