Influence of spatulation time upon the radiographic homogeneity of Adaptic Radiopaque fillings.

1)Twelve test cavities were filled with Adaptic Radiopaque by the author, varying the spatulation times form 5 s to 60 s at 5-s intervals but using the same mixing technique. Fillings spatulated for less than 20 s appeared inhomogeneous on radiograph. 2)Twenty-eight dentists produced 84 test fillings determining themselves their spatulation time and applying their own mixing technique. Spatulation times varied from 10 to 55 s. The fillings were radiographed under standardized conditions. Twenty-five were classified as radiographically homogeneous, 35 as partly inhomogeneous, and 24 as inhomogeneous. Short spatulation times were correlated with a high frequency of inhomogeneous fillings. Only 15% of fillings spatulated for less than 30 s were radiographically homogeneous. The observed inhomogeneities imply a risk of false positive diagnoses of secondary carious lesions.