Increased etching periods may impair the bond strength to ceramics, while the use of an unfilled resin after silane may improve bond strength. The application of a bonding resin may also provide better infiltration to the irregularities created on etched surfaces, irrespective of the conditioning time.
LZ Naves • CJ Soares • RR Moraes LS Gonçalves • MAC Sinhoreti • L Correr-Sobrinho
SUMMARYThis study evaluated the influence of etching periods on the surface/interface morphology and bond strength to glass ceramic with or without application of an unfilled resin after silane. Ceramic discs were divided into 12 groups, defined by etching time with 10% hydrofluoric acid: G1/G7 -etching for 10 seconds, G2/G8 -20 seconds; G3/G9 -40 seconds; G4/G10 -60 seconds; G5/G11 -120 seconds and G6/G12-60 + 60 seconds. All the groups were silanated after etching and G7 -G12 received a layer of unfilled resin after silane. Microshear testing using resin cement was performed, with 12 resin cylinders tested per group. The data was submitted to two-way ANOVA and the Student-Newman-Keuls' test (p<0.05). Evaluation of the etching pattern and bonding interfaces was conducted by SEM. The bond strength means (MPa) were: 19.4 ± 3.5, 22.3 ± 5.1, 22.2 ± 3.2, 17.8 ± 2.1, 15.3 ± 3.0 and 14.3 ± 1.8 for G1-G6 and 17.4 ± 4.8, 21.3 ± 2.1, 21.1 ± 2.3, 24.7 ± 5.8, 20.4 ± 2.2 and 18.5 ± 4.6 for G7-G12. Poor etching was detected after 10 seconds of conditioning; whereas deep channels were extensively 421 421 Naves & Others: Bonding to Ceramic Using Unfilled Resin observed on surfaces etched for 120 and 60 + 60 seconds. Unfilled voids underlying the ceramiccement interface were detected when only silane was applied. Full completion of the irregularities on G11 was detected using unfilled resin. When only silane was applied, the 60-second group and those etched for longer periods showed lower bond strengths. When both silane and unfilled resin were applied, all etching periods generally showed similar values. In conclusion, the etching period influenced the surface/interface topography and bond strength to ceramic. The application of unfilled resin was able to infiltrate all unfilled voids beneath the ceramic-cement interface, except on re-etched surfaces.