Thermal removal of composite resin: effect on rebonding etched metal

If a correctly etched-metal, resin-bonded fixed partial denture debonds, one recommendation for reuse is to clean the prosthesis by oven burnout, then to recement it without reetching. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the tensile strength of the bond of composite resin cement to either electrolytically or chemically etched metal was affected by earlier removal of residual resin with a burnout procedure. Pairs of rods made of nickel-chromium-beryllium were electrolytically or chemically etched according to accepted techniques, then bonded end-to-end with an enamel bonding agent and composite resin cement in an alignment apparatus. The rods were stored for 24 hours in 37 degrees C water, then debonded to determine the tensile bond strengths in megapascals. After debonding, the rods were placed in the burnout oven at 510 degrees C for 30 minutes. The rods were then ultrasonically cleaned in ethyl alcohol for 6 minutes. The pairs were rinsed under running water and then rebonded and debonded nine more times under the same conditions. A linear regression analysis revealed that there was no statistically significant difference (p less than 0.05) in the tensile strength of the bonds after repeated thermal cleanings and bondings. Correctly etched metal, resin-bonded fixed partial dentures may be recemented without re-etching after thermal cleaning without a statistically significant loss in the tensile strength of the bonds.