Microleakage of bonding agents with wet and dry bonding techniques

To assess the microleakage of Class V preparations restored with three bonding agents using wet and dry bonding.

Cavities were prepared in the buccal and lingual surfaces of extracted human premolar teeth and restored with resin composite after application of the dentin bonding agents, using a wet or dry bonding technique. The teeth were stored for 2 weeks at 37 degrees C, thermocycled, and the restorations examined for leakage using buffered methylene blue as the marker. The teeth were sectioned bucco-lingually through the restorations and the degree of microleakage assessed microscopically.

All groups showed leakage at both the dentin and enamel margins. There was no significant difference in leakage at the enamel margins between groups (p > 0.05) and no significant differences in leakage between the wet bonding (P > 0.05) or dry bonding (P > 0.05) procedures. However, when comparing the effects of wet and dry bonding, there was less leakage at the gingival margin in the groups where the bonding agent was acetone-based and wet bonding was used (P < 0.03). There was no significant difference in leakage for Scotchbond Multi-Purpose Plus when either maleic acid or phosphoric acid was used as the etchant (P > 0.05).