Effects of sandblasting, H2SO4/HCl etching, and phosphate primer application on bond strength of veneering resin composite to commercially pure titanium grade 4.

This study investigated the effects of surface treatments on the bond strength of a resin composite to a commercially pure titanium. The bonding surfaces of all titanium specimens were ground with 1,000-grit silicon carbide paper and then subjected to one or more of these surface treatments: sandblasting with alumina (sand), etching with 45wt% H2SO4 and 15wt% HCl (SH-etchant) at 70°C for 10 min, and/or phosphate primer (MDP-primer) application. Specimens not subjected to any surface treatment were used as controls. After resin composite veneer placement and 24-h water immersion, the shear bond strengths of the specimens in descending order were: sand/SH-etchant/MDP-primer, sand/SH-etchant/no primer, no sand/SH-etchant/MDP-primer, sand/no etch/MDP-primer, no sand/SH-etchant/no primer, sand/no etch/no primer, no sand/no etch/MDP-primer, no sand/no etch/no primer. Scanning electron microscope observations revealed that sandblasting and SH-etchant created many micro- and nanoscale cavities on the titanium surface. Results showed that a combined use of sandblasting, SH-etchant, and MDP-primer application had a cooperative effect on titanium bonding.