The effect of bulk-fill composites: Activa and Smart Dentin Replacement on cuspal deflection in endodontically treated teeth with different access cavity designs.

Aim: The aim was to evaluate the effect of bulk-fill composites - Activa and Smart Dentin Replacement (SDR) on cuspal deflection in endodontically treated teeth with different access cavity designs.
Materials and Methods: Forty-two maxillary first premolar teeth were randomly divided into three experimental groups based on different access designs as Group I - conservative endodontic cavities (CECs), Group II - traditional endodontic cavities, and Group III - CECs with diverging walls and two subgroups, based on the different access cavity restorations subgroup A-Activa and subgroup B-SDR with n = 7 per group. Root canal treatment was completed under the dental operating microscope. Cuspal deflection was assessed by measuring the distance between the glass beads using an optical microscope and micrometer immediately after a Root canal treatment and final measurements after access restorations. Data were statistically analyzed and tabulated.
Results: Results showed that the access cavity restored with Activa showed the highest cuspal deflection than SDR in all the groups ( P < 0.05). Conservative access designs showed the least cuspal deflection among other groups.
Conclusion: CEC designs showed lesser cuspal deflection than traditional endodontic cavity designs. SDR can be considered as a choice of material for access restorations.
Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.
(Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Conservative Dentistry.)