Effects of chlorhexidine-containing adhesives on the durability of resin-dentine interfaces

This study evaluated the effect of addition of diacetate CHX in different concentrations into two simplified etch-and-rinse (ER) adhesive systems (XP Bond [XP] and Ambar {AM}) on the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), degree of conversion (DC), 60-day cumulative water sorption (WS), solubility (SO) and CHX release (CR) as well as the immediate (IM) and 1-year (1Y) resin-dentine bond strength (μTBS) and nanoleakage (NL).

Ten experimental adhesive systems were formulated according to the addition of CHX diacetate (0 [control], 0.01, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2%) in the two ER. For UTS and DC, specimens were constructed and tested after 24h. For WS, SO and CR, after specimens build-up, they were stored in water and the properties measured after 60 days. The occlusal enamel of fifty molars was removed and the adhesives were applied in dentine surface after 37% phosphoric acid etching. After composite resin build-ups, specimens were longitudinally sectioned to obtain resin-dentine bonded sticks (0.8mm(2)). Specimens were tested in tension at 0.5mm/min in the IM or 1Y. For NL, 2 bonded sticks from each tooth were prepared and analyzed under SEM. The data were submitted to appropriate statistical analysis (α=0.05).

The addition of CHX did not influence UTS, DC, WS and SO (p<0.05). Higher CR was observed in adhesives with higher concentration of CHX (p<0.05). After 1Y, significant reductions of μTBS and increases of NL were observed in the control groups (p<0.05). Reductions of μTBS and increase of NL over time were not observed (AM) for CHX-containing adhesives or it was less pronounced than the control (XP) regardless of the CHX concentration.

The addition of CHX diacetate in concentrations until 0.2% in the simplified ER adhesive systems may be an alternative to increase the long-term stability of resin-dentine interfaces, without jeopardizing the adhesives' mechanical properties evaluated.