Shear bond strength of porcelain laminate veneer bonded with flowable composite

This study evaluated the "in vitro" shear bond strength of two materials to bovine enamel when used as porcelain laminate veneer bonding systems. The authors used the dual-cured resin cement Variolink II (Vivadent) and the light-cured flowable composite Natural-Flow (DFL). Porcelain cylinders were bonded to bovine enamel following manufacturers' directions. After 24 hours of storage in distilled water and thermocycling, the specimens were tested on a universal testing machine to determine the shear bond strengths. Mean strengths found in Groups 1 (resin cement) and 2 (flowable composite) were not statistically different (p < or = 0.05). The authors concluded that the shear bond strength of Natural-Flow is not different from Variolink II and that flowable composites can be a suitable alternative when used as porcelain laminate veneer bonding systems.