Morphological evaluation of 2- and 1-step self-etching system interfaces with dentin.

This in vitro study evaluated the resin-dentin interface formed by two 2-step and two 1-step self-etching adhesive systems under SEM. Class V cavities (4 x 2.5 x 1.5 mm) were prepared on the buccal surfaces of 25 extracted intact human third molars using a carbide bur in a high-speed handpiece. Four self-etching systems with corresponding resins were used: two 2-step systems, AdheSE (Ivoclar Vivadent) and Contax (DMG Hamburg), one 1-step/2 components system Futurabond NR (Voco) and a 1-step/1 component adhesive G-Bond (GC Corp). An etch and rinse system, PQ Clear (Ultradent), was used as a control. The teeth were thermocycled (500 cycles, 5 degrees /55 degrees C, 30 seconds dwell time), and 2 sections were made longitudinally through the restorations with a low-speed diamond saw, producing approximately 1-mm wide samples. The samples were polished with silicon carbide paper of increasing grit (400-1000), demineralized (6N HCl, 30 seconds), deproteinized (2.5% NaOC1, 10 minutes), left to air dry for 24 hours in a desiccator under low vacuum pressure, gold sputtered and viewed under SEM (JEOL-JSM-6460LV). In the AdheSE, Contax and Futurabond NR specimens, resin tag penetration into the tubules and lateral tags could be seen. G-Bond showed different interface morphology, with a tight, thin continuous junction and almost no resin penetration into tubules. PQ Clear samples exhibited the highest number of resin tags with numerous lateral tags. A clearly defined hybrid layer was seen in the Contax and PQ Clear specimens. Investigated self-etching systems showed similar interfacial morphology with dentin, except for the 1 step/1 component adhesive G-Bond. The degree of demineralization and interaction with dentin correlated with the acidity of the self-etching primers/adhesives. Fewer resin tags were formed with self-etching primers/adhesives than with the etch and rinse system.