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

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 degrees C-55 degrees C) 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.