Comparative clinical evaluation of direct-indirect heat tempered and direct composite restoration technique in noncarious cervical lesions: A split-mouth randomized clinical.

Introduction: Noncarious cervical lesions (NCCLs) are increasingly prevalent and present a restorative challenge due to their multifactorial etiology and complex cervical substrate. Composite resins are commonly used; however, limitations such as polymerization shrinkage and reduced retention affect their clinical performance. The direct-indirect heat-tempered composite technique has been proposed to enhance mechanical properties and clinical outcomes. Aim: The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the clinical performance of direct-indirect heat-tempered composite restorations and direct composite restorations in NCCLs. Methodology: This single-center, single-blinded randomized clinical trial included 82 systemically healthy patients with NCCLs, divided into two groups ( Results: At baseline, all restorations were rated Alpha. Over time, both groups showed deterioration in marginal discoloration and surface texture. However, Group A demonstrated significantly superior outcomes in marginal adaptation, anatomic form, and retention compared to Group B ( Conclusion: Direct-indirect heat-tempered composite restorations exhibited superior clinical performance compared to direct composite restorations in NCCLs, particularly in terms of retention, marginal adaptation, and anatomical stability. Both techniques were equally effective in preventing secondary caries and postoperative sensitivity.