Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the cavity configuration factor (CF) on the marginal microleakage of cervical restorations with four aesthetic restorative materials.
Materials and methods: Conventional cavities, 2.9 mm in diameter and 1.5 mm deep, with CF=2.7 and "saucer"-shaped ones with CF=2 were created in 60 extracted premolars. The following groups were established: G1: Z100/Single Bond, G2: Freedom/Stae, G3: Vitremer/Primer and G4: Durafill/Durafill Bond, following each manufacturer's directions. Thermocycling of the specimens was performed in an aqueous solution of 2% buffered methylene blue, with the temperature varying between 5 to 55 degrees C, for a total of cycles of 60 minutes per day, for 7 days. The specimens were then sectioned and evaluated by two observers using photographs acquired from a stereomicroscope. The values were subjected to Kruskal-Wallis analysis and the Dunn and Wilcoxon test.
Results: The averages of the microleakage scores observed in the conventional and "saucer"-shaped cavities were respectively: G1: 0.66/0.46; G2: 0.92/0.69; G3: 1.8/1.86; G4: 3.54/2.3.