ABSTRACT
Routine materials used for restoration and reconstruction of primary teeth are composite resins, glass ionomers, amalgam and stainless steel crowns. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of microleakage in pulpotomized primary molars restored with core max II [one kind of adhesive restorative materials]. Thirty extracted primary molars were selected. After being cleaned, the teeth were pulpotomized and then covered with Zinc Phosphate as liner. The MOD cavity outline was performed with buccolingual width of 2/3 of the distance between cusp tips, and the gingival floor finished at CEJ level. Then, the teeth were divided into two equal groups of 15. Teeth in group A were restored with amalgam, whereas the others in group B were restored with Core max II. Both groups were carried to artificial mouth staying for 2 days, followed by a one-week period resting in incubator. Apices of the teeth were sealed with wax and the entire tooth surface, except for the restored zone and 1 mm beyond it, were covered with two layers of varnish and then they were floated in a special liquid paint, called Basic Fuchsin 20%. Next, roots of the teeth were cut three mm below the CEJ. After that, the teeth were mounted in epoxy resin up to 1 mm below the CEJ level. After 24 hours, all of the specimens were sectioned mesiodistally. Finally the specimens were examined with a steriomicroscope in order to determine the amount of microleakage. Using the SPSS software version 11.5 at 5% significance level, the results were analysed with Mann-Whitney U test. Paint penetration intensity in restored teeth with no microleakage was equal in group A and B. There were minor differences between these two restorative materials when microleakage penetrated to either half of gingival wall or to all of gingival wall. Paint penetration intensity in group A was equal with that of group B when microleakage penetrated in axial wall. The difference in the amount of microleakage between amalgam and Core max II was not significant [P>0.05]. According to the results of this study, since the amount of microleakage in Core max II was as low as amalgam, it can be used as an suitable alternative restorative material in pulpotomized primary molars