Glove contamination of etched porcelain surfaces and bond strength to enamel

To investigate whether contamination of etched porcelain surfaces by operating gloves of different types alters the shear bond strength of the porcelain to a resin-composite luting material.

Fifty porcelain specimens of 7 mm diameter and 2 mm thick were manufactured in feldspathic porcelain. After randomly dividing the specimens into five groups of 10 specimens, the porcelain surface of each specimen was etched with hydrofluoric acid. Samples of glove material, taken from the outer surface of gloves typically used in clinical dentistry, were held against the etched porcelain surface for 10 seconds. Four different glove types were used, Group 1: Biogel D; Group 2: Featherlite; Group 3: Microtouch; and Group 4: Tru-Touch; Group 5: Control/not treated with glove material. A resin composite-based luting material of standard shade was placed against the treated porcelain surface in a PTFE mold of 2 mm diameter and 2 mm depth, and light-cured from a direction of 90 degrees to the porcelain surface for 60 seconds. Each specimen was tested in shear, the results noted and subjected to statistical analysis.

The mean shear bond strengths (MPa) for Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 22, 21, 16 and 23 and for the control group, 26. Statistical analysis of the results indicated that there was no significant difference between the groups.