Evaluation of the fatigue behavior of the resin-dentin bond with the use of different methods.

The clinical performance of directly bonded resin composites is fundamentally dependent on durable adhesion to prevent gap formation over time. The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of various dentin adhesives by means of quasistatic and dynamic dentin bond strengths, and also to determine marginal and internal gap formation after loading in an artificial oral environment. Three hundred thirty human third molars were used within four weeks of extraction. Adhesives used were A.R.T. Bond, OptiBond FL, Scotchbond Multi-Purpose Plus, Single Bond, Prime & Bond NT, and One Up Bond F for bonding of one resin composite (Z 250). Buccal and lingual aspects of 90 teeth were ground flat to expose dentin, then resin composite cylinders were bonded. Initial bond strengths (n = 10) and adhesive fatigue limits (n = 20) were determined with the use of a shear test apparatus. One hundred eighty conical cavities were prepared into dentin discs and filled with the same materials. After 21 days of storage, initial push-out bond strengths (n = 10) and adhesive fatigue limits (n = 20) were measured. Sixty molars with MO cavities (n = 10) with margins below the cement-enamel junction were filled. Before and after thermomechanical loading (100000 x 50 N and 2500 x thermocycling between + 5 and + 55 degrees C), marginal gap formation and internal adaptation (only after loading) were analyzed under a SEM (x 200). The one-bottle systems showed higher shear bond strengths when evaluated statically and dynamically. However, cyclic fatigue push-out bond strengths resulted in higher values for older multistep systems. Marginal and internal gap analysis confirmed the results, in favor of older adhesive systems (p <.05; Mann-Whitney U test). Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.