Silicoating: evaluation of a new method of bonding composite resin to metal.

Silicoating is a new type of pretreatment of the metal in the resin-bonded bridge technique. The size of bond strength between resin cement and silicoated metal was investigated. Different resin cements, types of metal, and grain sizes of sand used for roughening the metal surface were tested. Furthermore, the effect on the bond strength of contamination with saliva and of thermocycling was measured. There was no difference of importance between the two resin cements tested. Bond strengths obtained with Wirobond were the highest and insensible to changes in resin cement, grain size of sand, and to thermocycling. It was found that sand of the smallest grain size used brought about the highest bond strengths. Contamination with saliva did not significantly reduce the size of the bond strengths. Rinsing the metal surfaces with water or ethanol after contamination restored the bond strengths to their original magnitude. By silicoating, a greater resistance to thermocycling was obtained. Nevertheless, except for Wirobond, a fall in bond strength was measured after thermocycling. Bond strengths of the size of those between etched enamel and composite resin were measured, and the Silicoater method seems a reliable pretreatment of the metal.