Class I Resin Restorations Utilizing Occlusal Stamp Technique

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the marginal integrity of Class I composite restorations using the occlusal stamp techniques with traditional hand-carving methods.
Methods: Sixty sound, caries-free molar teeth were randomly assigned to three experimental groups. The three groups were: two occlusal stamp techniques groups (the Kool-Dam Heatless Liquid Dam and the Filtek Supreme Ultra Flowable Composite Resin) and the third group served as a control, the restorations were manually hand-carved. For the stamp fabrication in the first two groups, Kool-Dam material or flowable composite resin was applied to the occlusal surface, and a micro-brush tip was used as a handle. Standardized occlusal Class I cavities were prepared on all teeth, followed by restoration using Filtek Universal Restoration composite resin. For the stamp groups, the previously fabricated stamps were used to shape the surface layers of the restorations.
The marginal integrity of the restorations was evaluated at two points per tooth using a 3D non-contact profilometer. Thermal aging was simulated for all samples in a thermocycling machine, and marginal integrity measurements were recorded at baseline and after simulating 1, 3, and 5 clinical years. The marginal adaptation's mean, median, and standard deviation were statistically analyzed.
Results: The comparison between the traditional hand-carving technique and the Kool-Dam Heatless Liquid Dam stamping technique showed no statistically significant differences in marginal integrity, as determined by the Mann-Whitney U test. Similarly, no statistically significant differences were observed between the traditional hand-carving technique and the Filtek Supreme Ultra Universal Restorative Flowable Composite stamping technique. Additionally, comparing the two stamping techniques (Kool-Dam and flowable composite) revealed no statistically significant differences in marginal adaptation.
Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, the occlusal stamp technique provides a time-efficient alternative to traditional hand-carving methods without compromising the marginal integrity of Class I composite restorations.