Effect of mechanical load cycling on class V glass- ionomer and composite restorations; a microleakage and scanning electron microscopic evaluation

Received: 9 June 2011 Accepted: 29 August 2011 Abstract Background and Aim: Microleakage is an important problem with direct restorations and familiarity with its contributing factors is of utmost importance. The aim of this study was scanning electron microscopic evaluation of marginal integrity in three types of class V tooth-colored restorations and the effect of load cycling on their microleakage. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, class V cavity preparations were made on the buccal and lingual surfaces of 30 bovine incisors (60 cavities). The specimens were divided into three groups (n=10 each or 20 cavities) and restored as follows: group 1:with Filtek Z350(nanocomposite), group 2: Fuji IX/G Coat Plus(CGIC) , and group 3: Fuji II LC(RMGI). All specimens were finished and polished immediately and were thermocycled (×2000,5-50 °C). In each group, half of the teeth were load cycled .Epoxy resin replicas of 12 specimens were evaluated under FE-SEM and interfacial gaps were measured. Finally the teeth were immersed in 0.5% basic fuchsine dye for 24 hours at room temperature, sectioned and observed under stereomicroscope. Data were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests and a comparison between incisal and cervical microleakage was made with Wilcoxon test. Results: It was shown that the mechanical load cycling caused a statistically significant increase in cervical microleakage of Fuji IX and Fuji II LC and in incisal microleakage of Fuji II LC. Microleakage in Z350 with load-cycling and Fuji IX with and without load-cycling was significantly higher in cervical compared with incisal area. Both incisal and cervical microleakage were significantly different among these materials under load-cycling.( Fuji II LC>Fuji IX>Z350). Conclusion: It was concluded that the marginal sealing ability of Fuji IX under loadcycling was better than that of Fuji II LC. Z350 showed better marginal integrity while being load-cycled than both Fuji II LC and Fuji IX.