Micro-Tensile Bond Strength Between a Resin Cement and an Aluminous Ceramic Treated with Nd:YAG Laser, Rocatec System, or Aluminum Oxide Sandblasting

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different surface treatments on bond strength between In-Ceram Alumina (VITA) and Panavia Fluoro Cement (Kuraray), and to verify the association between bond strength values and the percentage of remaining cement on the ceramic surface. Although several conventional surface treatments have been used on aluminous ceramic, no study investigated the effect of the Nd:YAG laser. Nine In-Ceram Alumina blocks (10 x 10 x 6 mm) received three surface treatments: group 1, Al(2)O(3) sandblasting + silane; group 2, Al(2)O(3) sandblasting + Rocatec Plus + silane; and group 3, Al(2)O(3) sandblasting + Nd:YAG Laser + silane. Resin cement was applied and light cured, followed by the application of composite. Blocks were sectioned to obtain sticks with a cross-sectional area of 1.0 mm(2). Microtensile bond strength (microTBS) was recorded in a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Scanning electron microscopy images of the fractured areas were used to calculate the amount of remaining cement on the ceramic substrate. All treatments yielded statistically different microTBS values (MPa): group 1, 14.38(A); group 2, 20.09(B); and group 3, 23.21(C) (ANOVAand Tukey's test, alpha = 0.05). Pearson's correlation coefficient for microTBS x percentage of remaining cement was r = 0.92 (p < 0.05). The Nd:YAG laser was the most effective surface treatment, followed by Rocatec and Al(2)O(3) sandblasting. A strong positive association was found between bond strength values and percentage of remaining cement.