title: Reliability of marginal microleakage assessment by visual and digital methods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of visual and digital methods to assess marginal microleakage in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Typical Class V preparations were made in bovine teeth and filled with composite resin. After dye penetration (0.5% basic fuchsin), teeth were sectioned and the 53 obtained fragments were assessed according to visual (stereomicroscope) and digital methods (Image Tool Software(®)-ITS) (University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio Dental School, USA). Two calibrated examiners (A and B) evaluated dye penetration, by means of a stereomicroscope with ×20 magnification (scores), and by the ITS (millimeters). The intra- and inter-examiner agreement was estimated according to Kappa statistics (κ), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ρ).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In relation to the visual method, the intra-examiner agreement was almost perfect (κA = 0.87) and substantial (κB = 0.76), respectively to the examiner A and B. The inter-examiner agreement showed an almost perfect reliability (κ = 0.84). For the digital method, the intra-examiner agreement was almost perfect for both examiners and equal to ρ = 0.99, and so was the inter-examiner agreement value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Visual (stereomicroscope) and digital methods (ITS) showed high levels of intra- and inter-examiner reproducibility when marginal microleakage was assessed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Araraquara School of Dentistry, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fábio Augusto de Santi
authors.initials: FAS
authors.lastname: Alvarenga
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, Araraquara School of Dentistry, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pinelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, Araraquara School of Dentistry, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leonor de Castro Monteiro
authors.initials: LCM
authors.lastname: Loffredo
keywords: Assessment; composite resin; microleakage; reproducibility of results