Bond Strength to Lithium-Disilicate Ceramic after Different Surface Cleaning Approaches

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Adhesive Dentistry

Background:

• Contamination of dental restorations can compromise bond strength.
• Lithium-disilicate (LiSi) glass-ceramics are widely used in CAD/CAM restorations.
• Effective decontamination is crucial for durable bonding of resin cements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate decontamination methods for LiSi ceramic surfaces.
• To assess their impact on shear bond strength (SBS) to resin cement.
• To determine the efficacy of self-etching primers in contaminated scenarios.

Main Methods:

• LiSi ceramic specimens were contaminated with saliva and silicone paste.
• Various decontamination procedures were applied, including hydrofluoric acid (HF), phosphoric acid, ethanol, cleaning paste, and self-etching ceramic primer (SEP).
• Shear bond strength (SBS) tests were performed after luting with resin cement.

Main Results:

• Surface cleaning significantly influenced bond strength (p < 0.001).
• Self-etching ceramic primer (SEP) and HF treatments yielded higher SBS.
• Complete contaminant removal was not achieved by any method; residual traces were observed with cleaning paste.

Conclusions:

• Self-etching ceramic primer effectively enhances bond strength to contaminated LiSi ceramic.
• SEP efficacy is maintained regardless of prior hydrofluoric acid etching.
• Novel decontamination strategies are needed for complete contaminant removal.