Effects of multiple adhesive coatings on dentin bonding

Simple changes to bonding techniques can improve resin-dentin bond strengths. This study evaluated the effect of multiple consecutive coatings of adhesive resin on dentin by measuring both microtensile bond strength and nano-leakage following exposure to ammoniacal silver nitrate. Resin-dentin bonded specimens were prepared using two total-etch adhesives (OptiBond Solo Plus/Kerr or Single Bond/3M ESPE). During bonding, resin application and air evaporation were done 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 times on acid-etched, moist dentin surfaces. Mean microtensile bond strengths were evaluated by two-way ANOVA and Fisher's PLSD test (p<0.05; n=16 for each group). Additionally, nanoleakage of silver nitrate was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicated that bond strengths increased with each coating up to four coats. Nanoleakage decreased with each coat, becoming very small after four or more coats. This adhesive application method can be easily applied to clinical practice, thereby improving the quality of resin-dentin bonds.