Assessment of Marginal Adaptation and Microleakage in Restorations Using Different Restorative Materials

Abstract

Microleakage and marginal adaptation are very important factors that determine the survival and clinical success of dental restorations. Marginal non-adaptation may cause microleakage, which causes secondary caries, pulpal irritation, postoperative sensitivity and subsequent restoration failure. The paper is a review and comparison of the performance of various restorative materials such as composite resins, glass ionomer cements (GICs), resin-modified GICs and bulk-fill composites in terms of marginal sealing ability and resistance to microleakage. Recent evidence from 2021 research indicates that traditional composites have been shown to have better aesthetics and mechanical strength, but suffer due to polymerization shrinkage, which undermines marginal integrity. The use of bulk-fill composite possesses less shrinkage stress caused by altered resin matrices and filler technology, which enhances adaptation. GICs modified with resin and more recently high-viscosity GICs have greater fluoride release and chemical adhesion to tooth structure that leads to reduced microleakage, especially in dentin margins. But still, there is no material that offers an optimal seal in every clinical situation. The results indicate that the choice of restorative material must be based on the cavity design, location of the tooth and clinical needs. Additional research in vivo needs to be conducted over a longer period of time to confirm laboratory findings.