Background: Marginal adaptability of restorative material is one of the prime factors for success of a restoration.
Aim: To evaluate microleakage at enamel restoration and dentin restoration interface of Class V cavities restored with new alkasite restorative material Cention-N, with and without using bonding agent and flowable composite resin.
Materials and methods: Thirty Class V tooth preparations were divided into three groups (n = 10): Group-I restored with Cention-N (Ivoclar Vivadent) without adhesive, Group-II was restored with Cention-N after application of eighth-generation bonding agent (3M ESPE, Single Bond Universal Adhesive), and Group-III was restored with flowable composite resin (Tetric-N-Flow, Ivoclar Vivadent). All samples were subjected to 200 thermocycles between temperature baths at 5°C and 55°C. All samples were cut longitudinally through the center of the restorations with the help of isomet diamond saw. The sections were then observed under binocular stereomicroscope at 20×. Two evaluators scored the depth of dye penetration independently at enamel and dentin margins.
Statistical analysis: Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric analysis followed by Dunn's multiple comparison tests were done to evaluate differences among the experimental groups. Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the difference between occlusal and gingival scores within each restoration.
Results: Microleakage seen in decreasing order: Cention-N without adhesive >Flowable composite >Cention-N with adhesive.
Conclusion: Microleakage at enamel restoration interface was less than microleakage at dentin restoration interface of each group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Least microleakage was seen with Cention-N with adhesive followed by flowable composite. More microleakage was seen with Cention-N without adhesive.
Keywords: Bonding agent; Cention-N; flowable composites; microleakage; polymerization shrinkage.