Clinical benefits of immediate dentin sealing: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Statement of problem The clinical complications, success, and survival rates of indirect restorations delivered with the immediate dentin sealing protocol are unclear. Purpose The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to find and collect evidence on the clinical complication, success, and survival rates of indirect restorations delivered with immediate dentin sealing. Material and methods Electronic databases were searched for clinical studies on immediate dentin sealing up to December 2023, without language or time limitations. The records were included if they were clinical trials evaluating the clinical complication and survival rates of indirect restorations bonded to tooth substrate sealed immediately after preparation with suitable resin bonding. The extracted data were analyzed via Review Manager 5.4 for meta-analysis (α=.05). Results A total of 11 studies were included in this review. The clinical complication rate was lower for immediately sealed dentin than for protocols without dentin sealing. The survival rate of restorations luted with the immediate dentin sealing protocol was higher (96.4% to 100%) than that of immediate dentin sealing (81.8% to 96.7%), negatively correlated with the observation time. The intensity and incidence of postoperative sensitivity were statistically significantly lower for restorations with immediate dentin sealing than for those without dentin sealing or conventionally cemented (P<.05). Conclusions Immediate dentin-sealed indirect restorations had fewer clinical complications and higher success and survival rates than those delivered without dentin sealing. To avoid postoperative sensitivity or reduce its intensity, dentin surfaces should be sealed immediately after preparation. More long-term randomized clinical trials are recommended to confirm these evidence-based conclusions.