Microleakage of Glass Ionomers Temporary Restorations in Indirect Pulp Treatment: An in vitro Study

Purpose: To compare the degrees of marginal microleakage undergone by different intermediate materials used for provisional restoration in indirect pulp treatment: glass ionomers (KetacTM Fil Plus (3M ESPE), KetacTM Molar Easy Mix (3M ESPE), Fuji IXTM GP (GC)) and zinc oxide eugenol. Materials and methods: Twenty young permanent premolars, extracted for orthodontic reasons, were prepared by creating Class II cavities and then divided into four groups according to the material used for pulp capping. The materials were applied following the manufacturers' instructions and stained with methylene blue at 2% to evaluate microleakage. Results: Results were evaluated applying variance analysis (ANOVA). It was found that glass ionomers showed better outcomes than zinc oxide eugenol, with Fuji IXTM GP and KetacTM Molar Easy Mix producing the best results. Conclusion: For indirect pulp capping, glass ionomer is a favorable material for reducing one of the main causes of treatment failure - microleakage - although there are differences between brands.