Bonding to enamel using alternative Enamel Conditioner/etchants

Area of Science:

• Dental materials science
• Adhesive dentistry
• Biomaterials engineering

Background:

• Traditional phosphoric acid etching is standard for enamel preparation in dental bonding.
• Developing alternative etchants is crucial for improving bond durability and clinical efficacy.
• Evaluating novel etchants with various adhesive systems is essential for advancing restorative dentistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the enamel bond durability of three new alternative etchants when used with three representative dental adhesives.
• To compare the micro-tensile bond strength (μTBS) of these combinations against established controls.
• To investigate the effect of aging on bond strength and failure modes.

Main Methods:

• Micro-tensile bond strength (μTBS) testing was performed on immediate and aged samples.
• Three adhesives (OptiBond FL, Clearfil SE Bond 2, Adhese Universal) were combined with three alternative etchants (Enamel Conditioner, Multi Etchant, ZON etchant) and phosphoric acid controls.
• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were used to analyze etching patterns and interfacial morphology.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in immediate or aged μTBS was found between most alternative etchant/adhesive combinations and controls, except for Multi Etchant with OptiBond FL.
• Aging led to a significant reduction in μTBS for Multi Etchant with Clearfil SE Bond 2 and Adhese Universal.
• SEM revealed similar etching patterns for Enamel Conditioner and ZON etchant compared to phosphoric acid, with visible micro-resin tags.

Conclusions:

• Durable enamel bonding was generally achieved with the tested alternative etchants and adhesive combinations.
• The Multi Etchant/OptiBond FL combination demonstrated compromised bond durability.
• Alternative etchants like Enamel Conditioner and ZON etchant show potential as replacements for phosphoric acid in dental bonding procedures.