Marginal leakage of two newer glass-ionomer-based sealant materials assessed using micro-CT

Abstract

Objectives To test newer glass-ionomer-based materials as sealant materials. One glass-ionomer sealant was light-cured to obtain an early setting reaction. The null-hypothesis tested was: there is no difference in marginal leakage of sealants produced with high-viscosity glass-ionomer, with and without energy supplied, and that of glass-carbomer, in comparison with resin composite sealants in vitro. Methods Materials used were Clinpro ®, Ketac Molar Easymix ® and Glass-Carbomer ®. Sealants were placed in the occlusal surface of 89 molar teeth, thermocycled for 5000 cycles and evaluated using micro-CT for silver nitrate penetration depth at the enamel–sealant interface by two trained evaluators. Data were analysed, using ANOVA and Scheffe's test. Results Glass-carbomer sealants showed one or more ‘fracture lines’ in the material and at the enamel–material interface, filled with a kind of transparent, but not black coloured, material. High-viscosity glass-ionomer sealants with and without energy supplied had statistically significantly lower mean marginal leakage scores than sealants produced by composite resin ( p < 0.01). No marginal leakage was found in the high-viscosity glass-ionomer group without energy supplied. Conclusions The high-viscosity glass-ionomer (Ketac Molar Easymix ®) sealants had lower marginal leakage than resin composite sealants, and should be tested in vivo. Glass-carbomer sealants were non-interpretable.