Universal adhesive systems in class II amalgam restorations

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of adhesive system in reducing microleakage in class II amalgam restorations. Methods: The teeth were divided randomly into 3 equal groups: Group I was the control experiment (Copal Vanish); Group II: single Bond Universal 3M-ESPE (with and without acid - 37%); and Group III: All Bond Universal - BISCO (with and without acid - 37%), after the amalgam was condensed. The root apices were then sealed with acrylic resin and stored for 24 hours in 100% humidity. After storage, the specimens were subjected to 500 cycles of thermocycling (5°C and 55°C). The teeth were isolated with cosmetic nail polish and were immersed in 0.5 basic fuchsin dye for 24 hours. The teeth then were sectioned with a diamond disc and observed under a stereomicroscope. Microleakage was assessed using a 0-3 scale of dye penetration. The data was analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test (p<0.05). Results: The microleakage scores revealed less leakage in the experimental groups than in the control group. The microleakage for the adhesives without acid conditioning was reduced, although no statistical significance was recorded (p<0.05). Conclusion: The immediate adhesive material acted effectively as a barrier for microleakage when it was applied without acid.