The effect of atmospheric pressure on the bond strength of composites.

Background: In the current study, we investigated the effect of atmospheric pressure change on the microtensile bond strength of direct and indirect composite restorations to the teeth. Materials and Methods: A total of 16 extracted teeth were prepared after crown cutting and randomly divided into four groups. The study groups included: 1) direct restoration (Filtek™ Z250 Universal Composite Restorative System, 3M, United States) at constant pressure (control); 2) direct restoration in variable pressure; 3) indirect restoration (Z250 composite) at constant pressure (control); and 4) indirect restoration at variable pressure. Then, samples were subjected to thermal cycles. Variable pressure groups were pressurized to 0 to 5 atmospheres for 96 cycles inside the hyperbaric chamber, followed by measuring the microtensile bond strength of the specimens. Results: The mean of microtensile bond strength in both direct and indirect variable-pressure groups was significantly lower than their counterpart control groups. There was no significant difference between direct and indirect restorations in constant and variable pressure. The failure mode of the samples in the control groups was often mixed, while in the pressure groups, it was dominated by adhesive. Also, microscopic examination of restoration interfaces showed that the number and volume of voids in variable pressure groups were much more than the control groups. Conclusion: Regardless of the type of restoration, changing the atmospheric pressure is effective on the bond strength of the restorations to the teeth.

Effect of Selected Luting Agents on the Retention of CAD/CAM Zirconia Crowns Under Cyclic Environmental Pressure.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the retention strength of zirconia crowns luted with two types of resin cement under environmental pressure changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty zirconia crowns were fabricated by using computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system and were cemented by Panavia F2.0 (PAN), hand-mixed RelyX Unicem (UNH), or auto-mix RelyX Unicem Aplicap (UNA) cements on the corresponding extracted human molars. The samples were randomly divided into three groups according to the cement type. After 3000 thermal cycles, the cemented crowns were subjected to 24 pressure cycles (0 to 5 atmospheres). The retention force (N) of the specimens was measured in a universal testing machine. To normalize the retentive force, the recorded force was divided by the surface area of each tooth for measuring the retentive strength (MPa). The mean retention strengths (and forces) of the groups were compared by using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's honest significant difference (HSD) test (α=0.05). The failure modes were also examined by using a stereomicroscope. RESULTS: The retention values related to the evaluated resin cements were significantly different; the UNA group showed the highest retention strength (6.45±0.35 MPa) followed by the UNH (4.99±0.47 MPa) and PAN (4.45±0.39 MPa, P<0.001) groups. The adhesive failure mode was predominant in all the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The choice of resin cements and their mixing methods, which lead to differences in porosity, may affect the retention strength of zirconia crowns.

Effect of Photobiomodulation on Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to review available literature about the effect of photobiomodulation (PBM) on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). BACKGROUND DATA: The effects of coherent and noncoherent light sources such as low-level lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on cells and tissues, known as PBM, form the basis of photomedicine. This treatment technique effects cell function, proliferation, and migration, and plays an important role in tissue regeneration. Stem cells have been found to be helpful elements in tissue regeneration, and the combination of stem cell therapy and laser therapy appears to positively affect treatment results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electronic search in PubMed was conducted of publications from the previous 12 years. English language articles related to the subject were found using selected key words. The full texts of potentially suitable articles were assessed according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: After evaluation, 30 articles were deemed relevant according to the inclusion criteria. The energy density of the laser was 0.7-9 J/cm2. The power used for visible light was 30-110 mW and that used for infrared light was 50-800 mW. Nearly all studies showed that low-level laser therapy had a positive effect on cell proliferation. Similar outcomes were found for LED; however, some studies suggest that the laser alone is not effective, and should be used as an adjunct tool. CONCLUSIONS: PBM has positive effects on MSCs. This review concluded that doses of 0.7-4 J/cm2 and wavelengths of 600-700 nm are appropriate for light therapy. The results were dependent upon different parameters; therefore, optimization of parameters used in light therapy to obtain favorable results is required to provide more accurate comparison.

Effect of Resin Cement Mixing Method on the Retention Strength of a CAD/CAM Zirconia Crowns.

Several treatments have been suggested to improve the retention of zirconia-based restorations luted with different cements. Resin cements are believed to improve crown retention under certain circumstances. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of three cements with different mixing methods on the retention of CAD/CAM zirconia crowns. Thirty extracted human molars were randomly divided into three groups and prepared for all-ceramic crowns (6° taper, 4-mm height and a 1.2 mm rounded shoulder finish line). A zirconia crown (Tizian CAD/CAM) was fabricated for each tooth. The crowns were air-abraded using airborne particles, adjusted, and cemented to the corresponding tooth with one of the following cements: Panavia F2 (PAN group), RelyX Unicem (UNH group) or RelyX Unicem Aplicap (UNA group). After 3,000 rounds of thermal cycling, retention was measured using a specific retentive jig and a universal testing machine. The retention strength was measured by dividing the retention force by the surface area of each tooth. The means of the pull-out test results for each group were compared using analysis of variance and Tukey's HSD test (α = 0.05). The mode of failure was examined using a stereomicroscope. The mean retention value was 6.45 (0.34) MPa for the UNA group, 4.99 MPa (0.47) for the UNH group, and 4.45 (0.39) for the PAN group; the differences among the three test groups were significant. A mixed failure was observed in 83.3 % of specimens, while no cohesive failure occurred in the crowns. Within the limitations of the present study, of the three tested cements, Relyx Unicem Aplicap cement was associated with the highest retention force for Tizian zirconia crowns.