Cuspal movement and microleakage in premolar teeth restored with resin-based filling materials cured using a 'soft-start' polymerisation protocol.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of polymerisation shrinkage strain of four posterior filling materials on cuspal movement, degree of conversion (DC) and cervical gingival microleakage of mesio-occlusal-distal (MOD) restorations placed incrementally in maxillary premolar teeth using a 'soft-start' polymerisation protocol.


METHODS
Forty sound extracted upper premolar teeth were subjected to standardised preparation of a large MOD cavity before restoration. A 'soft-start' polymerisation curing regimen was used and each posterior filling material was placed in eight increments with the appropriate bonding system. A twin channel deflection measuring gauge allowed a measurement of individual cusp deflections at each stage of polymerisation. Restored teeth were thermocycled before immersion in a 0.2% basic fuchsin dye for 24h. After sagittal sectioning of the restored teeth in a mesio-distal plane, the sectioned restorations were examined to assess cervical microleakage. The DC was also assessed using a diffuse-reflectance accessory on a Fourier transform infra-red spectrophotometer.


RESULTS
A significant increase in cuspal movement recorded for Z100 (20.06+/-4.71) compared with Filtek Z250 (16.52+/-3.26), P60 (14.23+/-3.71) and Admira (11.11+/-2.47). No significant reduction in cuspal movement was identified when compared with a previous study [6] where a full-intensity standard polymerisation protocol was employed. No significant differences were also identified between the materials when the cervical gingival microleakage scores or DC were examined for the 'soft-start' compared with the standard polymerisation protocol.


CONCLUSIONS
Although material type remained a significant factor, the use of a 'soft-start' polymerization compared with a standard curing regime did not offer any significant reduction in associated cuspal movement, DC or gingival microleakage at the cervical dentine cavosurface margin of the cavities restored with the resin-based filling materials.
Fleming
G J P
GJ
Materials Science Unit, Division of Oral Biosciences, Dublin Dental School & Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland. garry.fleming@dental.tcd.ie
Cara
R R
RR
Palin
W M
WM
Burke
F J T
FJ
D001641:Bicuspid; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003188:Composite Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D001840:Dental Bonding; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003763:Dental Leakage / Q000145:classification*; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000145:classification / Q000379:methods*; D003804:Dentin / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D012833:Siloxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D019237:Tooth Cervix / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019228:Tooth Crown / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015040:Zirconium / Q000737:chemistry
D004396:Coloring Agents; D003188:Composite Resins; D003764:Dental Materials; C444701:Filtek Z250; D008689:Methacrylates; D011108:Polymers; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D012833:Siloxanes; C083568:Z100 composite resin; C479084:admira; C025485:basic fuchsin; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D015040:Zirconium