The number of composite restorations delivered to patients is on the rise. Despite the improvement in mechanical properties of modern composites, the task of providing a functional restoration is at times compromised due to the problem of postoperative sensitivity associated with these restorations. An understanding of the potential causes of postoperative sensitivity will enable clinicians to adopt a technique which minimizes the risk of development of postoperative sensitivity and subsequently ensure restoration longevity. This article reviews the literature to explain the common reasons for development of this phenomenon. The continuous development and introduction of newer materials in the market creates a lack of long term clinical data pertaining to a particular type of composite and adhesive system. Although the newly developed materials have shown promising results in terms of reduced postoperative sensitivity, a systematic review and meta-analysis is required for evaluating the findings from the recently conducted clinical studies on the subject of postoperative sensitivity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.