Introduction: the sealing ability is a significant physical property of dental restorative materials. Recently, A new generation has been developed that is termed bioactive, or 'smart,' one of them is Activa which is claimed to have good sealing abilityand it is the concern of this research.
Objectives: This study assessed the microleakage of a smart bioactive material (Activa bio-active restorative) and compared it to the composite resin (Tetric ® N-Ceram).
Materials and methods: The study included two groups, according to the material used; Group A: Activa, Group B: Tetric® N-Ceram Bulk-Fill. The microleakage test was assessed by a bacterial leakage test on 20 extracted premolar teeth 10 for each group. The bacterial leakage of all premolars was assessed in a microbiological laboratory test, bacterial leakage was observed as turbidity. The day of the observation and number of teeth demonstrating bacterial leakage were recorded for each material and the leaked bacteria were counted by a quantitative culture through the serial dilution method.
Results: It was found that Activa showed turbidity in 9 out of ten samples, while Tetric N-Ceram showed turbidity in 8 out of ten samples. Regarding the frequency of bacterial penetration and serial dilution, there were no significant differences between Activa and Tetric N-Ceram.
Results were statistically analyzed using independent sample t-test, paired t-test, and chi-square test.
Conclusion: These finding nominate Activa as a restorative material where a good sealing ability is needed.