Effects of delayed polishing on gap formation of cervical restorations

This study evaluated the effect of polishing after one-day storage in water on the gap formation around a Class V restoration completely bordered by enamel (coronal cavity) using one resin-modified glass ionomer, one compomer and one conventional glass ionomer as a control. The study also examined gap formation of these materials in two different cervical restorations - a cervical cavity incisally bordered by enamel and cervically bordered by dentin and a root surface cavity completely bordered by dentin. When the specimens of the two types of glass-ionomer material were polished immediately after the setting procedure, 100-120 gaps around the coronal restorative cavity were observed. In contrast, only 10-20 gaps were observed when the specimens were polished after one-day storage. Significant differences in the two glass-ionomer restorative materials were observed between immediate polishing and polishing after one-day storage. The compomer not show this pattern. Restorations placed in enamel/dentin and all-dentin gave results similar to those in all-enamel.