A Comparative Study of the Effects of Dentinal Bonding Agents and Application Techniques on Marginal Gaps in Class V Cavities

The effectiveness of eight dentinal bonding agents (DBA's) and four of their combinations in eliminating marginal gaps in class V cavities was evaluated by the bulk method of composite application and two different incrementation techniques. The cavities were prepared one-half in enamel and one-half in dentin. Basic fuchsin 0.5% in propylene glycol was used for detection of the presence of gaps. For each cavity, the presence of gaps was scored as 0 or 1, at five enamel and five dentin locations. Marginal gaps were present in 6% of all enamel locations and in 75% of all dentin locations investigated. The gap frequency was lowest at the enamel occlusal locations, it increased gradually toward the dentin, and attained the highest value at the gingival locations. In enamel, the occurrence of gaps was dependent on the DBA's but independent of the particular technique used. In dentin, there was significant difference in gap occurrence between DBA's with any of the incrementation techniques. The frequency of gap occurrence was not significantly changed by the incrementation techniques. The most effective single agent in producing gap-free restorations was the Gluma, and the most effective combination was the GlumalClearfil.