Bond Strength to Eroded Enamel and Dentin Using a Universal Adhesive System

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Dental erosion and demineralization can compromise tooth structure.
• Universal adhesives offer versatile bonding solutions in restorative dentistry.
• Understanding factors affecting bond strength is crucial for clinical success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of prior acid etching on the bond strength of a universal self-etch adhesive.
• To evaluate this effect on both sound and eroded enamel and dentin surfaces.

Main Methods:

• Bovine incisor enamel and dentin were subjected to an erosive challenge (citric acid).
• Surfaces were either pre-etched with 37% phosphoric acid or not.
• A universal self-etch adhesive was applied, followed by composite buildup.
• Microtensile bond strength (µTBS) was measured using a universal testing machine.

Main Results:

• For enamel, both erosive challenge and acid etching significantly increased bond strength.
• For dentin, neither the erosive condition nor acid pre-treatment significantly affected bond strength.
• No significant interaction was found between erosion and acid etching for either substrate.

Conclusions:

• Previous acid etching and erosive challenge enhance the bond strength of universal adhesives to enamel.
• These interventions do not improve the bond strength of the tested universal adhesive to dentin.
• Clinical protocols may need to consider substrate-specific responses to pre-treatments and erosive conditions.