doi: 10.4103/njcp.njcp_143_17 Microleakage of glass ionomer based restorative materials in primary teeth: An In vitro study

The aim of this study is very clear in that they study will examine the microleakage of restorations in primary dentition. the only unclear thing was the use of acronym autoCAD. The study used extracted deciduous dentition which were divided into 3 groups with differing restorative materials to place class V cavity preparations into the buccal surface. the teeth were then stored and thermocycle, then cut mesiodistally and infused with dyes. the study concluded that polyacid modified resin may be a useful restorative material to minimize microleakage in deciduous teeth. The title of the paper is very clear and concise and relates directly to the study. The references used are all very relevant to the topic of GIC, with the correct referencing style used. Some of the references used were quite old dating back to 1974 and the information used in these studies may be outdates. would considering replacing some of the older referencing with more up to date sources. Additionally some of the older research was cited for historic purposed and in this instance validates it use.

The research clearly explains what is known about restorative materials, the benefit of the uses and the limitations of microleakage and failed restorations. The introduction clearly outlines the aim and wanting to investigate microleakage with GIC restorative materials. microleakage is one of the most common reasons for failed restorations hence the research into improvement of materials is warranted.

The research was an in vitro study and only used deciduous dentition that had been previous extracted. The results could have been improved by using a larger sample of in vitro teeth. The method that was used was simple and effective, dyes are the best way to detect microleakage This study was simplistic and could be easily replicated.

Figure 1 failed to have a metric for the y axis therefore is difficult to determine what the value of measurement is. the figures and tables didn’t seem well discussed in the discussion. the results did display and discussed their statically significance well.

Whilst they determine that PMCR exhibited less microleakage than RMGIC and high-viscosity GIC restorations. they only were able to conclude the PMCR may be useful in reducing micro leakage. this study also didn’t assess the extent of microleakage in qualitative manner and only used quantitative analysis. The study used other literature to support their findings and strengthen their discussion. Whilst the aim is related to the conclusion further study should be conducted to gain more reliable and concrete evidence for GIC materials and microleakage. there is an opportunity for further research in this field particularly with the ongoing improvement of restorative materials.

The study was appropriate for the aim but to improve the outcome of the study, more samples of deciduous teeth should have been used as 30 is a very small sample size to gain accurate results. the study also could have used quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the extent of microleakage. there were some errors in research discussion where it was stated 'PMCR exhibits greater microleakage than RMGIC and PMCR' this is an error when they are comparing their study groups. The results of the study did show that microleakage is very common in restorative materials and it is a large concern in dentistry that should be further researched. There is also the potential for further research in alternative restorative materials such as composite which may have reduced microleakage