Effects of different surface treatment methods on the bond strength of composite resin to porcelain

In this study failures of composite resin/ porcelain interfaces under shear loading were examined. Porcelain firing were made onto metal cylinders and porcelain surfaces were roughened with burrs or treated with hydrofloric acid gel and/ or sandblasted with a Microetcher. Two silane coupling agents were used in five groups, each of which had 22 samples. All of the treated samples were restored with a hybrid-type composite resin. Then each group was divided into two subgroups according to storage times of 24 h and 30 days. After thermocyling the samples which were stored for 30 days, all of the groups were subjected to shear force at the composite resin/porcelain interface until fracture occurred. The results showed that there were differences both in the 24-h and 30-day storage period bond strengths between the various surface treatment methods. The samples treated with all three of the Microetcher, hydrofloric acid and silane exhibited the highest shear bond values after 24 h storage, followed by the microetched/silane and the hydrofluoric acid/silane groups (F: 570.31, P: 0.00). After 30 days, the highest mean shear bond strength values were again with samples treated by all three processes. The storage period and thermocycling decreased the bond strength of samples, however, there was a significant difference among groups (F: 1388-55, P: 0.00). Silane pre-treatment of porcelain was important as the mean bond strength of sandblasted/etched specimens were significantly lower than the other groups which were treated mechanically, in 24 h. Sandblasting seems to have little effect on the bonding. The comparison of 24-h and 30-day samples have also significant difference (F: 91.4376, P: 0.00).