Wettability and bonding of self-etching dental adhesives. Influence of the smear layer.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate dentin wettability and bonding of self-etching and total-etch adhesives on smear layer-covered and smear layer-free dentin. METHODS: Three self-etching adhesives (Clearfil SE Bond, AdheSE and Xeno III) and one total-etch adhesive (SingleBond) were evaluated. The substrates were mid coronal smear layer-covered and smear layer-free dentin. Dentin wettability by resins was studied from contact angle measurement using sessile drop method and Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA). Shear-bond strength was evaluated using a push-out technique (ad hoc design). Data were analysed with two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test. RESULTS: Similar values of dentin wettability were obtained for all adhesives tested regardless the presence of smear layer. Even though, Xeno III and AdheSE exhibited slightly lower wettability (higher contact angles values) on smear layer-free dentin. Likewise, the presence of smear layer did not affect the shear-bond strength. Total-etch adhesive obtained higher shear-bond strength than self-etching adhesives, which obtained similar values. SIGNIFICANCE: Wettability is similar between self-etching and total-etch adhesives. The smear layer affects slightly the wettability of self-etching adhesives. Shear-bond strength is not sensitive to the smear layer presence. Total-etch adhesion is stronger than self-etching adhesion. There is no clear relationship between wettability and bond strength.

Effect of acid etching on dentin wettability and roughness: self-etching primers versus phosphoric acid.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of self-etching primers and phosphoric acid on the wettability and roughness of smear layer-covered and smear layer-free dentin. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Three self-etching primers (Clearfil SE Bond, AdheSE, and Xeno III) and 10% (w/w) phosphoric acid (H(3)PO(4)) solution were evaluated. The substrates were midcoronal dentin with and without smear layer. For each liquid, pH, density, and surface tension were determined. Water wettability of dentin and roughness were measured before and after each etching. Wettability of self-etching primers and phosphoric acid was measured on untreated dentin. RESULTS: Water wettability increased after acid conditioning similarly for all the liquids used. On smear layer-covered surfaces, self-etching primers achieved a comparable wetting but with greater contact angles than phosphoric acid. However, on smear layer-free surfaces, the increasing sequence of contact angle was Clearfil SE < AdheSE < Xeno III < Phosphoric acid. The treatment with phosphoric acid (lowest pH) produced the highest roughness increase on both dentin substrates. The roughening effect of the self-etching adhesives was more evident for AdheSE and Xeno III. CONCLUSIONS: Self-etching primers and phosphoric acid promote similar water wettability increase. However, self-etching primers provided lower dentin roughness increase than pretreatment with phosphoric acid. The presence of smear layer did not affect the results of self-etching and phosphoric acid treatments.

Comparison of regional bond strength in root thirds among fiber-reinforced posts luted with different cements.

AIM: To compare regional bond strength in different thirds of the root canal, among glass fiber-reinforced (FRC) endodontic posts luted with different cements, using the push-out test. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty extracted human anterior teeth were endodontically treated with gutta-percha and AH Plus sealer. The crown portion was removed, and a dowel space was prepared. Prepared teeth were randomly assigned to one of six groups (n = 10) for luting glass FRC Postec posts, with one of the six cement systems (Ketac Cem Aplicap, Relyx Unicem Aplicap, Variolink II/Excite DCS, Panavia F/ED Primer, C&B cement/All-Bond 2, and Multilink/Multilink Primer A/B), using an alignment technique. Specimens were embedded in resin, and each root was sectioned into six 1-mm thick serial slices. A push-out test was performed to measure regional bond strengths and to identify the type of failure. RESULTS: The highest bond strength values were found in the cervical third and the lowest in the apical third. Highest values were obtained using Variolink II, Panavia F, and Multilink resin cements followed by C&B resin cement and Relyx Unicem ionomer resin cement; Ketac-cem ionomer cement showed the lowest value. CONCLUSION: Highest bond strength values were obtained in the cervical third and with resin cements.