Intra-oral adhesive systems for ceramic repairs: a comparison.

The aim of this investigation was to compare the bond strength of restorative composite resin to dental ceramic conditioned with primers and adhesives of various commercial repair kits. Three intra-oral ceramic repair systems--Silistor (Heraeus Kulzer), Cimara (Voco), Ceramic Repair (Vivadent)--were used on all-ceramic (IPS Empress 2, Ivoclar-Vivadent) substrate. Shear bond strength of restorative composite resin to substrate was tested after thermocycling and without thermocycling (n = 10). Substrate surfaces of the specimen after loading were examined microscopically (SEM). The highest bond strengths in both water-stored (7.0 +/- 5.7 MPa) and thermocycled conditions (2.5 +/- 1.8 MPa) were obtained with the Vivadent repair system, while the lowest values were observed with the Cimara system (0.6 +/- 1.4 MPa and 0.0 +/- 0.0 MPa, respectively). Shear bond strengths appeared to be significantly affected by thermocycling (ANOVA, P < 0.05). It is concluded that there are significant differences in the bond strengths of resin composites and ceramic substrate. The roughened surface does not necessarily provide a better bond strength; the bond strength of composite decreases with storage in water and after thermocycling. Bond strength values were generally low for all of the tested materials.