[Effects of pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation on shear bond strength of composite resin bonded to porcelain].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the shear bond strength of composite resin bonded to pretreated porcelain surfaces by use of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation and by use of 8% hydrofluoric etching.
METHODS: Surfaces of porcelain were roughened with coarse diamonds until the opaque body porcelains were exposed. The samples were divided into four groups. Samples of the first group were etched with 8% hydrofluoric acid for 3 min by following the manufacter's instructions. Samples of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th groups were separately irradiated by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser of three energy parameters of 15 Hz, 40 mJ; 0.6 W; 15 Hz, 60 mJ, 0.9 W and 15 Hz, 80 mJ, 1.2 W different respectively, each specimen was irradiated for 1 min. Then, silane coupling agent was equally placed on the treated surfaces for 3 min, the activator was used on each surface. The adhesive was applied and light-cured. The composite resin material was finally bonded to the treated porcelain surface, forming a 3 mm x 3 mm x 2 mm resin mass. Samples were then tested for shear bond strength between the treated porcelain and composite resin by using a SWD-10 electric universal testing machine with a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min until fracture. At the end of testing, the data was evaluated by using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) comparing the shear bond strength. On the other hand, characteristic morphology of laser irradiated surfaces of porcelain was prepared and observed by a scanning electron microscopy.
RESULTS: The shear bond strength of laser groups of 0.6 W, 0.9 W, 1.2 W and etching group was respectively 8.61, 14.07, 11.22 and 13.47 MPa. There was no significantly difference among groups of laser 0.9 W, 1.2 W and the etching group. This suggested that irradiated on surfaces of porcelain by Nd:YAG laser at the above laser energy could attain the same effectiveness as hydrofluoric acid etching. But the shear bond strength of laser 0.6 W group was significantly lower than the etching group. It suggested that shear bond strength would obviously decrease when laser energy was 0.6 W or lower than this parameter, and had no use in treatment on porcelain surfaces comparing to acid etching. SEM showed that porcelain surfaces irradiated by Nd:YAG laser exhibited rough, umbilicate, lava crater-like structure. This structure helped to produce mechanical retention between resin composite and porcelain.
CONCLUSION: The pulsed Nd:YAG laser could replace etching method to pretreat the fracture porcelain surfaces for bonding with composite resin at appropriate energy parameters.