Sealing Ability and Microleakage of New Resin Luting Cements

Self-etch resin luting cements have been recently introduced. The self-etch capability eliminates the need for separate bonding steps in an attempt to simplify the cementation procedure. However, the effect of this simplification on microleakage has not been fully determined, particularly for the different proprietary versions available and in comparison with more conventional cements. Objectives: To evaluate the sealing ability of self-etch resin cements relative to representative conventional cements. Methods: Class V inlay preparations were prepared on the facial and lingual surfaces of recently extracted premolars with the occlusal margin in enamel and the gingival margin in cementum. A composite resin inlay; DurafillVS (Kulzer) was fabricated for each preparation and cemented into place using one of eight cements (n=10) according to manufacturers' instructions. All specimens were thermocycled 500 times between 5oC and 55oC and stored for 1 hour in 2% methylene blue. The teeth were then sectioned bucco-lingually for microleakage examination at 10x magnification. A microleakage score, based on the extent of dye penetration along the interface was assigned, and the results were analyzed using Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney tests (p<0.05). Results: The self etch cements presented a range of microleakage scores; however, they performed better than or as well as the control conventional cements. Among the 4 self-etch resin cements tested, Maxcem (Kerr) and Unicem (3M ESPE) scored significantly better than Biscem (Bisco) and Embrace (Pulpdent). Furthermore, no cement was able to completely prevent microleakage at the gingival margin. Conclusions: With their significant potential to decrease technique sensitivity and postoperative sensitivity, self-etch resin cements may be preferred over conventional resin cements in appropriate clinical situations. Grant: Network for Oral Research Training and Health.