Enamel margins resealing by low-viscosity resin infiltration

Abstract

This study evaluated low-viscosity resin potential as enamel marginal gap sealant for existing composite restoration. Standard restorations with marginal gaps were created in bovine teeth; gaps were resealed using G-Bond Plus (GB, GC, Tokyo, Japan) or Icon (ICN, DMG, Hamburg, Germany) with or without HCl pretreatment (n=8). Swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) images were taken before and after resealing of the margin and thermal cycling to calculate enamel marginal gap extent. Cross-sectional microscopy was performed to confirm SS-OCT findings. SS-OCT showed remarkable reduction of backscatter signal at enamel margins after application of the low-viscosity resin. Enamel margin resealing significantly decreased gap and there was a significant difference between ICN (regardless of HCl pretreatment) and GB, while thermal cycling increased gaps (p<0.05). The low-viscosity resin could effectively infiltrate micro-gaps at enamel margins and improve sealing of an existing composite restoration. Resin infiltration is a viable option for resealing intact restorations with open margins.