Effects of thermal fatigue on shear punch strength of tooth-colored restoratives

Clinical Performance of Zirconia Reinforced versus Conventional Viscous Glass Ionomer in Class I Cavities of Geriatric Patients: A 1-year Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background

For the elderly population, efforts are made to simplify the restorative procedure while maintaining good clinical performance. Glass ionomer (GI) cements are showing signs to fulfill many of these qualities. With their new properties and ease of use, they can be developed further to become a useful group of materials to overcome the problems of elderly patients.

Aim

The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical performance of zirconia-reinforced versus conventional viscous GI restorations in Class I cavities of geriatric patients.

Setting and Design

The study design was in vivo randomized clinical trial, parallel-arms, allocation ratio: 1:1.

Subjects and Methods

A total of 28 Class I carious lesions in 21 geriatric patients were restored randomly either by zirconomer-improved or Ketac Molar Quick Aplicap (n = 14) each. Restorations were evaluated for 1 year by modified USPHS criteria.

Statistical Analysis

Data were analyzed with the Chi-square test and Cochran's Q-test. Survival rate was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test.

Results

Twenty-four restorations were evaluated in 19 patients with a recall rate of 85.7% at 12 months. Significant differences were found in marginal integrity and marginal discoloration within both restorative materials between different time intervals (P < 0.05). However, none of the materials were superior to another regarding all assessed criteria.

Conclusions

Both zirconia-reinforced GI and conventional highly viscous GI have acceptable clinical performance.

A Deep Morphological Characterization and Comparison of Different Dental Restorative Materials

Giomer is a relatively new class of restorative material with aesthetics, handling and physical properties of composite resins, and benefits of glass ionomers: high radiopacity, antiplaque effect, fluoride release, and recharge. To verify the superior properties of Giomers, in this study, a deep morphological characterization has been performed with an in vitro comparative study among a Giomer (Beautifil® II by Shofu Dental Corporation, Osaka, Japan), a Compomer (Dyract Extra by Dentsply, Caulk, Germany), glass ionomer cement (Ketac fil plus by 3M ESPE), and a composite resin (Tetric Evoceram by Ivoclar). In particular, mechanical and optical properties and ageing effects have been compared to investigate materials similarities and differences. Indentation tests, UV-Visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and weight loss after storage in saliva or sugary drink have been carried out to analyze materials behavior in real conditions. The results confirm the high quality of Giomer material and indicate possible improvements in their usage.