Standardized microscopic evaluation of the bonding mechanism of NRC/Prime & Bond NT

To investigate the in vitro formation of hybrid layer, resin tags and adhesive lateral branches, when using Prime & Bond NT (PBNT) "one-bottle" enamel-dentin bonding system on conditioned and unconditioned human dental substrates.

The enamel dentin adhesive was tested on 18 dentin and 18 enamel flat preparations made on facial and occlusal surfaces, respectively, of extracted posterior teeth. Each experimental tooth substrates were randomly divided in six groups of six samples each: Group 1: PBNT on conditioned dentin (CD) with 36% phosphoric acid (PA), Group 2: PBNT on etched enamel (EE) with 36% PA, Group 3: PBNT on CD with NRC non-rinse conditioning (NRC); Group 4: PBNT on EE with NRC, Group 5: PBNT on dentin without any conditioning (UD), Group 6: PBNT on enamel without any conditioning (UE). In the experimental groups, PBNT was applied following the manufacturer's instructions. Over the PBNT, a layer of Dyract AP was placed and light-cured for 20 seconds. All samples were split-fractured along their long axis. One half of each sample was deproteinized and decalcified at the interface in order to visualize the hybrid layer and the other was completely dissolved in order to observe the morphology of resin tags with a scanning electron microscope.

Groups 1, 2: The tested samples showed a micromechanical bonding mechanism to CD and EE with phosphoric acid. PBNT formed hybrid layer, resin tags and adhesive lateral branches on dentin. In the dentin samples of the first group, characteristic reverse cone-shaped tags with their corresponding adhesive lateral branches were evident. At the enamel site, traditional pattern of etch enamel was always observed with resin tags formation. Groups 3, 4: When the bonding system was applied on dentin conditioned with NRC, a thin hybrid layer was formed, resin tags were also noted but their shape was narrower than that observed in Group 1. At the enamel site, the conditioned surface showed presence of an etched pattern and of resin tags. Groups 5, 6: When PBNT was applied without any previous conditioning, the hybrid layer and resin tags formation were not evident on dentin, and no bonding mechanism was developed with unetched enamel.