Clinical Behavior of Self-Adhesive Composite Resin Restorations: Literature Review

Self-adhesive flowable composite resins are relatively new formulations on the market. These materials do not require the prior application of the adhesive system and, at the same time, can promote a durable seal at the tooth-restoration interface. However, there is little clinical information about these materials. Therefore, this review aimed to gather information on the clinical behavior of these self-adhesive materials by conducting a bibliographic search from 2010 to February 2024 in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. Clinical follow-up studies of restorations performed with these materials were eligible for selection. The search terms used were “self-adhesive composite” or “self-adhesive flowable composite” where 14 complete articles were evaluated and 12 were selected. Only clinical follow-up studies of enamel and/or dentin restorations performed with self-adhesive resins were eligible for selection. This systematic review concluded that the self-adhesive flowable resin showed results comparable to those of the conventional flowable resin. However, studies have shown that for restorations in Class I and V cavities, self-adhesive flowable composite resin performed better than restorations in Class II cavities.