Surface Treatment Protocols Research Articles

Effect of mechanical and chemical surface treatments on the repairing of milled and 3D-printed denture bases.

Ensuring a strong bond between chairside autopolymerized acrylic resin to denture base is essential for denture repair and reline procedures. However, there is no established protocol to enhance bond strength between autopolymerizing resin and computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) denture base materials. The purpose of this study was to determine shear bond strength of CAD-CAM denture bases and autopolymerizing acrylic resin after mechanical and chemical surface treatments compared with heat-polymerized acrylic resin. Heat-polymerized, milled, and 3-dimensional (3D) printed denture bases were divided into 4 surface treatment protocols: none (control), airborne-particle abrasion (APA), tetrahydrofuran, and Vitacoll application. Autopolymerizing acrylic resin cylinders were bonded to denture surface. Shear bond strength and failure modes were determined after thermocycling. Denture base surfaces were assessed for surface roughness, surface morphology, and microhardness before and after surface treatment. Data was analyzed using two-way ANOVA and multiple comparison tests. The results showed that APA significantly increased shear bond strength and surface roughness of all denture base materials. Tetrahydrofuran and Vitacoll application improved shear bond strength of heat-polymerized acrylic resin, but did not reach the level achieved by APA. Conversely, tetrahydrofuran application improved bond strength of 3D-printed denture to the level of APA. Tetrahydrofuran and Vitacoll application significantly reduced denture base hardness, compared with control and APA. In conclusion, mechanical surface treatment using APA enhances the adhesion of autopolymerizing acrylic resin to heat-polymerized and CAD-CAM denture bases. Tetrahydrofuran and Vitacoll chemical surface treatment improved adhesion to heat-polymerized acrylic resin, with only tetrahydrofuran enhancing bond strength of 3D-printed denture to the level of APA. Without surface treatment, the highest bond strength was shown in 3D-printed denture base material.

Effect of Different Surface Treatment Protocols on the Color and Translucency of Zirconia Ceramics with Different Translucencies.

Effect of Different Surface Treatment Protocols on the Color and Translucency of Zirconia Ceramics with Different Translucencies.

Hybrid Ceramics Cementation Protocols: Scope Review.

Compared to high modulus repair materials such as zirconia and alumina, hybrid polymer-ceramic materials have lower stress concentrations in the tooth structure and bonding interface. The aim of this study is to evaluate viable cementation protocols through an integrative review and meta-analysis. This systematic review was based on the PRISMA criteria. An electronic search was carried out in seven databases: Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, Clinical Trials, Scopus, Cochrane, Periodicals of Capes. The following inclusion criteria were used: hybrid ceramics, surface treatment protocol and which union test was presented, discarding duplicate articles and studies that did not meet the inclusion criteria. The articles were analyzed and selected through the RayYan platform. Of the 160 articles identified, 24 studies were included in this review. The materials used by the authors were the hybrid ceramics: Vita ENAMIC, LAVA ULTIMATE, Cerasmart, Shofu Block, and the possible surface treatment protocols presented involving the use of: HF, Alumina blasting with or without silica, Silane, Laser and adhesive. The tests were carried out at different times and concentrations of the analyzed materials. With the studies that were included in this review, it was possible to show that the corrosion made by HF continues to be the gold standard for the treatment of surfaces in hybrid ceramics. Key words:Hybrid ceramic, Bond Strength, Cementation.

Zirconia Cementation: A Systematic Review of the Most Currently Used Protocols

Objective A systematic review of the existing literature was conducted and in vitro studies from 2019 to 2023 were analyzed on Zirconia's most resistant cementation protocol. Methods A systematic review of studies on the bond strength between zirconia and resin cement was carried out using different surface treatment protocols. The search was performed in two electronic databases, PubMed and Cochrane. Results Electronic searches yielded 1225 non-duplicated articles (Fig. 1), of which 388 were chosen after screening the titles and abstracts. After examining the full texts of these articles, a further 340 were excluded. There remained 48 studies to which the selection by inclusion and exclusion criteria was applied, eliminating 31 articles, of which 17 were finally included for the qualitative study. Conclusion Under the limitations of the present systematic review, it can be concluded that treating Zirconia with a combination of surface modifying agents, both mechanical and chemical, substantially improves its adhesive ability with resin cement. Aluminum oxide sandblasting, hydrofluoric acid etching, tribochemical silica coating, laser, and etching with a combination of acids in the Zircos E system are micromechanical treatments that improve the bond strength between zirconia and resin cements. MDP silane agent is an effective chemical treatment to improve the bond strength between zirconia and resin cements. Coating exclusively with a silica layer does not improve the bond strength between zirconia and resin cement.

The Effect of Different Chemical Surface Treatments on the Bond Strength of Resin-Matrix Ceramic Repaired with Resin Composite.

This study investigates the effect of different chemical surface treatment protocols with different functional monomers of universal adhesives on the shear bond strength between resin-matrix ceramic and resin composite. Eighty resin-matrix ceramics (Shofu block HC) were built and designed into eight groups of ten specimens and surface treated with HC primer (HC) and/or three universal adhesives (single bond universal [SBU], Scotchbond universal plus [SBP], and Tetric N-bond universal [TNU]) assigning follows; group 1, nonsurface treated; group 2, HC; group 3, SBU; group 4, HC + SBU; group 5, SBP; group 6, HC + SBP; group 7, TNU; group 8, HC + TNU. A template was put on the specimen center, and then pushed packable resin composite. Mechanical testing machinery was used to examine the samples' shear bond strength (SBS) values. To examine failure patterns, the debonded specimen surfaces were examined by a stereomicroscope. The one-way analysis of variance method was used to evaluate the data, and the Tukey's test was used to determine the significant level (p < 0.05). The highest SBS was obtained in group 6 (39.25 ± 1.65 MPa). Group 1 (4.15 ± 0.54 MPa) had the lowest SBS. Group 6 exhibited the highest percentage of cohesive failure patterns (70%). High SBS values were frequently correlated with the surface treatment groups and the cohesive failure patterns. The application of HC primer prior to the universal adhesive is an alternative protocol for enhancing the repair bond strength between resin-matrix ceramic and resin composite interfaces. Moreover, the application of HC primer prior to the SBP is the best strategy for resin-matrix ceramic and resin composite repairs.

The effect of repair protocols and chewing simulation on the microtensile bond strength of two resin matrix ceramics to composite resin

BackgroundTo assess the micro tensile bond strength (µTBS) of two resin matrix ceramic (RMC) blocks bonded to composite resin by using different repair protocols with and without chewing simulation (CS).Materials and methodsTwo resin matrix ceramic blocks (Vita Enamic and Lava Ultimate) were divided into 4 groups according to the surface treatments: Bur grinding (control), Bur grinding + silane, 9.5% HF acid etching, and 9.5% HF acid etching + silane. The single bond universal adhesive was applied on all specimens after the surface treatments according to the manufacturer’s instructions, it was administered actively on the treated surface for 20 s and then light cured for 10 s, followed by incremental packing of composite resin to the treated surface. Each group was further divided into 2 subgroups (with/without chewing simulation for 500,000 cycles). A micro tensile bond strength test was performed for each group (n = 15). The effect of surface treatments on the materials was examined by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The micro tensile bond strength (MPa) data were analyzed with a three-way ANOVA, the independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey post-hoc test.ResultsµTBS results were significantly higher for Lava Ultimate than Vita Enamic for all the surface treatment protocols with (p < 0.01). The chewing simulation significantly negatively affected the micro-tensile bond strength (p < 0.001). Bur grinding + saline exhibited the highest bond strength values for Lava Ultimate, both with and without chewing simulation. For Vita Enamic, bur grinding + saline and HF acid + saline showed significantly higher bond strength values compared to other surface treatments, both with and without chewing simulation (p ≤ 0.05).ConclusionBur grinding + silane could be recommended as a durable repair protocol for indirect resin matrix ceramics blocks with composite resin material.

Surface Treatment of Indirect Restorations

Background: All ceramic CAD/CAM materials require surface treatment protocols varying from one type to another according to their chemical composition, including hydrofluoric acid etching, sandblasting, silica coating, laser etching, and non-thermal plasma treatment. This review's objective to analyze and bring up-to-date data about the surface treatment of ceramics.Data: The review just searched electronic publications of papers. Websites "Google Scholar" and "PubMed" were utilized as sources for performing data searches using the following keywords: Surface modification, plasma surface treatment, indirect restoration, ceramics The original papers and clinical investigations that were published between the years 2006 to March 2023 that were the most relevant to the subject at hand were chosen.Conclusion: A variety of surface treatment methods have been proposed to enhance the bonding of restorative materials to resin cement and provide micromechanical retention by altering the restoration's surface mechanically by increasing the degree of roughness or physico/chemically by activating the surface. Hydrophloric acid etch is a golden standard for the surface treatment of feldspathic and lithium disilicate ceramics, the APC concept for zirconia, and hydrofluoric acid or sandblast surface treatment for resin nano-ceramic. A new approach used for surface treatment is plasma treatment, which is really promising in dentistry.

Do the methods for cleaning the base of brackets used in indirect bonding interfere with adhesion to tooth enamel?

The objective of this study was to evaluate the shear bond strength of metal brackets bonded with indirect bonding, under different surface treatment protocols. 40 bovine teeth were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10), according to the type of surface treatment: G1 = 70% alcohol, G2 = air/water spray, G3 = 100-µm aluminum oxide blasting, G4 = direct boning. After drying, the standard Edgewise central incisor brackets were bonded with light-cured resin. The brackets were moved from the plaster models by means of a transfer tray made with condensation silicone, and bonded to the surface of the enamel with self-curing adhesive. The samples were submitted to shear tests by a universal test machine. Data were analyzed with SPSS 20.0 by the one-way ANOVA test and the Tukey post-test. No statistically significant difference (p=0.174) was observed between the mean forces measured between the group for shear strength values of the groups during the test: G1 (5.33 MPa), G2 (3.52 MPa) and G3 (4.58 MPa). The bracket surface treatment protocols presented similarities in shear bond strength test. However, alcohol 70% and oxide blasting presented higher absolute values of resistance than the water group.

Mechanical and chemical surface treatment enhances bond strength between zirconia and orthodontic brackets: an in vitro study

ObjectivesTo assess the shear bond strength (SBS) between metal orthodontic brackets and zirconia after receiving different mechanical and chemical surface treatments, and different types of resin adhesive. The failure mode of each treatment protocol was also evaluated.Materials and methodsThe present in vitro experimental study consisted of six surface treatment protocols with two different resin adhesives. One-hundred and forty-four rectangular-shaped 3 mol% yttrium-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal blocks were milled, sintered, and embedded in acrylic resin. They were randomly divided into three mechanical (none, air abrasion, and bur grinding) and two chemical surface treatment conditions (no primer and Z-primer). The specimens were divided into two groups according to the resin adhesive received: self-cured (RelyX U200) and light-cured adhesives (Transbond XT). The SBS between the metal bracket and zirconia was tested using a universal testing machine (1-mm/min crosshead speed), and the failure mode was evaluated. Differences in SBS and failure mode were analyzed using Welch ANOVA followed by post-hoc comparison and Fisher’s Exact test, respectively.ResultsBur grinding produced the highest SBS, followed by air abrasion. Z-primer application typically provided a higher SBS regardless of resin adhesive used (p < 0.001). Without primer application, RelyX U200 provided a higher SBS than Transbond XT (p < 0.001). After grinding, using Z-primer and RelyX U200 resulted in a higher SBS than no primer and using Transbond XT (p < 0.001). Adhesive failure at the zirconia–adhesive interface occurred only when Transbond XT was applied without bur grinding, and when using Transbond XT after grinding, but no Z-primer application.ConclusionBur grinding combined with applying an MDP-containing primer and resin adhesive enhances the SBS between zirconia and metal orthodontic brackets.

Comparison of surface characteristics of denture base resin materials with two surface treatment protocols and simulated brushing.

To investigate the effects of 4 denture base materials, 2 surface treatment protocols, and simulated brushing (SB) on the surface hardness, surface roughness, surface gloss, and the surface loss of denture base materials. Four denture base resin material groups (compression-molded, injection-molded, 3D-printed, and milled) with two different surface treatment protocols (polished and glazed) were utilized in this study. A total of 80 samples (n = 10) were evaluated for surface hardness (Vickers) before SB. SB was performed for each sample (custom-built V8 cross brushing machine, 50,000 reciprocal strokes). Surface roughness (Ra) was measured before and after SB with a non-contact optical profilometer. Surface gloss was performed using a glossmeter to determine changes in surface reflectivity of the specimens before and after SB. Surface loss (wear resistance) was measured after SB using optical profilometry. The effects of material, surface treatment, and SB on all surface characteristics were examined with two-way and three-way analysis of variance models (ANOVA) (α = 0.05). The polished compression-molded group had significantly higher surface hardness than all other groups. The protective glaze coating significantly increased the surface hardness for all groups (P < 0.001). SB increased the surface roughness of all groups regardless of surface treatments (P < 0.001). The increase in surface roughness after SB was significantly higher with polished surface treatment than with a glazed surface treatment in all groups (P < 0.001). Surface gloss was significantly higher with the glazed surface treatment than with the polished surface treatment for all denture base materials (P < 0.001). After SB, milled denture base material showed the highest, and 3D-printed material showed the second highest surface gloss compared to the other groups (P < 0.001), regardless of surface treatment. In all materials tested, surface glaze significantly decreased surface loss (P < 0.001). With the glaze surface treatment, compression-molded denture base material had significantly less surface loss (more surface gain) than other materials, while with the polished surface treatment, 3D-printed denture base material had the least surface loss when compared with other groups. A single layer of nano-filled, light-polymerizing protective glaze coating has displayed potential for enhancing the longevity of denture base materials, as evidenced by increased hardness and wear resistance. Following simulated brushing, the milled denture material exhibited the highest surface gloss and lowest surface roughness among all groups, regardless of the surface treatment protocol. This indicates that milled denture base material possesses favorable surface properties and may serve as a viable alternative to traditional denture base materials.

Bonding performance of glass ionomer cement to carious dentin treated with different surface treatment protocols using silver diamine fluoride

This study investigated the influence of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) on the shear bond strength (SBS) to artificial carious dentin and GIC restorations with various SDF application protocols. Artificial caries were prepared on human dentin discs using bacteria model. These samples were randomly allocated to five groups (n = 10/group) according to the following treatment: (1) control group (CD): no treatment (2) CSR: dentin conditioner, SDF, and rinsing (3) CS: dentin conditioner and SDF (4) SRC: SDF, rinsing and dentin conditioner, and (5) SC: SDF and dentin conditioner. The treated-dentin surface was bonded with GIC and subjected to SBS test. Mean SBS was analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Surface morphology and elemental contents after surface treatment were examined (n = 3/group) by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX). There was no significant difference in the mean SBS among CD (2.45 ± 0.99 MPa), CSR (1.76 ± 0.65 MPa), and SRC (2.64 ± 0.95 MPa). Meanwhile, the mean SBS of CS (0.35 ± 0.21 MPa) was significantly lower than the control and SRC group. SEM/EDX demonstrated deeper silver penetration in CSR and CS groups when compared to SRC and SC groups. SDF-modified GIC restorations resulted in significantly lower bond strength in CS and SC groups. The findings suggested treating the carious dentin surface with CSR and SRC protocol. SDF-treated carious dentin should be rinsed off prior to restore with GIC.

Influence of different surface treatment on bonding of metal and ceramic Orthodontic Brackets to CAD-CAM all ceramic materials

BackgroundDeveloping efficient bonding techniques for orthodontic brackets and all-ceramic materials continues to pose a clinical difficulty. This study aimed to evaluate the shear bond strengths (SBS) of metal and ceramic brackets to various all-ceramic CAD-CAM materials, such as lithium disilicate CAD (LDS-CAD), polymer-infiltrated ceramic (PIC), zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate glass ceramic (ZLS), and 5YTZP zirconia after different surface treatments and thermal cycling.Materials and methodsThe samples were divided into two groups to be bonded with ceramic and metal lower incisor brackets. Each group was subdivided into a control group devoid of any surface treatment, 10% HF acid (HFA) etching, ceramic etch & prime (MEP), Al2O3 air abrasion, and medium grit diamond bur roughening. After surface treatment, brackets were bonded with composite resin cement, thermal cycled, and tested for shear bond strength. The failed surfaces were evaluated with a digital microscope to analyse the type of failure. The data were statistically analysed using a one-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests at p < 0.05.ResultsThe highest mean bond strengths were found with HFA etching in LDS-CAD (13.17 ± 0.26 MPa) and ZLS (12.85 0.52 MPa). Diamond bur recorded the lowest mean bond strength roughening across all the ceramic groups. There were significant differences in mean shear bond values per surface treatment (p < 0.001) and ceramic materials.ConclusionAmong the surface treatment protocols evaluated, HFA etching and MEP surface treatment resulted in enhanced bond strength of both ceramic and metal brackets to CAD-CAM all ceramic materials.

Effects of Surface Treatment and Thermocycling on the Shear Bond Strength of Zirconia-Reinforced Lithium Silicate Ceramic.

To investigate the effects of different surface treatments and thermocycling on shear bond strength (SBS) be-tween resin cement and zirconia-reinforced lithium-silicate (ZLS) ceramic. 96 ZLS ceramic specimens were randomly allocated to four different surface treatment groups: etch and silane (ES), etch and universal primer (EUP), self-etching primer (SEP), and sandblasting and silane (SS). Stan-dardized composite cylinders were bonded to surface-treated ZLS ceramic, after which SBS was obtained either after 24-h water storage only or with an additional 5000 thermal cycles (TC), resulting in eight subgroups (n = 12). After evaluation of failure mode under a stereomicroscope, representative SEM images were acquired. To examine areal average surface roughness (Sa), additional ZLS specimens were prepared and randomly allocated to 3 groups: hydrofluoric acid etching, self-etching primer, and sandblasting (n = 10). Supplementary specimens were examined using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) (n = 2) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) (n = 2) to investigate their surface topographies. ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference in SBS following different surface treatment protocols after 24-h water storage (p < 0.001). However, TC groups revealed no statistically significant difference in their SBS (p = 0.394). All surface treated groups were significantly affected by TC (p < 0.001), except for the SS group (p = 0.48). Sa was signifi-cantly influenced by the different surface treatment protocols (p < 0.001). The ability of self-etching primer to achieve comparable bond strength with a less technique-sensitive ap-proach makes it a favorable alternative to ES for the surface treatment of ZLS ceramics.

Effect of different surface treatment protocols on the bond strength between lithium disilicate and resin cements.

Because the use of hydrofluoric acid (HF) poses health risks if handled improperly, many clinicians prefer to have the ceramic restorations pre-etched in dental laboratories. However, during the try-in procedure, the pre-etched glass-ceramic restorations may be contaminated with saliva resulting in reduced bond strength. This in-vitro study aimed to investigate the effect of different surface treatments on the bond strength of lithium disilicate (LD) glass-ceramic restorations (IPS e.max Press, Ivoclar Vivadent) to two resin cements. One-hundred eighty blocks (4X4X3mm) of LD glass-ceramic were divided into twelve groups (n = 15), of which six received Variolink Esthetic DC (VE) cement and six received RelyX Ultimate (RU) cement, following the surface treatments: G1) Control: Hydrofluoric Acid + Silane (HF + Sil); G2) Hydrofluoric Acid + Saliva + Silane (HF + S + Sil); G3) Hydrofluoric Acid + Saliva + Ivoclean + Silane (HF + S + IC + Sil); G4) Hydrofluoric Acid + Saliva + Phosphoric Acid + Silane (HF + S + P + Sil); G5) Hydrofluoric Acid + Saliva + Monobond Etch & Prime (HF + S + EP); G6) Monobond Etch & Prime (EP). Following treatment, a resin-cement cylinder (2.3mm diameter) was built on the glass-ceramic surface, photocured (20s), stored in distilled water (37°C, 24h) and submitted to the shear bond strength test. Bond strength data (MPa) were subjected to two-way ANOVA and Tukey (α = 0.01). Cement type and surface treatment had a significant effect on the bond strength (p < 0.001) (Table 4). Single-step Monobond Etch & Prime (EP) significantly improved the bond strength of resin-cements to glass-ceramic with and without saliva contamination.

Effect of Anti-COVID-19 Mouthwashes on Shear Bond Strength of Resin-Matrix Ceramics Repaired with Resin Composite Using Universal Adhesive: An In Vitro Study

Using anti-COVID-19 mouthwashes has become necessary to reduce acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmissions. Resin-matrix ceramic (RMCs) materials that are exposed to mouthwashes may affect the bonding of repaired materials. This research was performed to assess the effects of anti-COVID-19 mouthwashes on the shear bond strengths (SBS) of RMCs repaired with resin composites. A total of 189 rectangular specimens of two different RMCs (Vita Enamic (VE) and Shofu Block HC (ShB)) were thermocycled and randomly divided into nine subgroups according to different mouthwashes (distilled water (DW), 0.2% povidone-iodine (PVP-I), and 1.5% hydrogen peroxide (HP)) and surface treatment protocols (no surface treatment, hydrofluoric acid etching (HF), and sandblasting (SB)). A repair protocol for RMCs was performed (using universal adhesives and resin composites), and the specimens were assessed using an SBS test. The failure mode was examined using a stereomicroscope. The SBS data were evaluated using a three-way ANOVA and a Tukey post hoc test. The SBS were significantly affected by the RMCs, mouthwashes, and surface treatment protocols. Both surface treatment protocols (HF and SB) for both RMCs, whether immersed in anti-COVID-19 mouthwash or not, improved the SBS. For the VE immersed in HP and PVP-I, the HF surface treatment had the highest SBS. For the ShB immersed in HP and PVP-I, the SB surface treatment had the highest SBS.

Evaluation of shear bond strength and translucency of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate and lithium disilicate: An in vitro study.

To analyze the effect of various surface treatment protocols on shear bond strength between the ceramic and resin cement (RC) and influence of zirconia on the translucency of LD as compared to zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS). In-Vitro Study. Specimens (14 mm × 12 mm × 2 mm) (n = 135) and (14 mm × 12 mm × 1 mm) (n = 45) of ZLS computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing glass ceramic block and LD were fabricated, respectively. All the ZLS specimens were crystallized and were tested for the translucency parameter and ceramic-resin shear bond strength. Two different types of surface treatment were used on the ZLS and LD samples. The specimens were treated using the hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching or air abrasion with diamond particles (DPs). The specimens were then bonded using self-adhesive RC to a composite disc of 10 mm and thermocycling was performed. A universal testing machine was used to evaluate ceramic-resin shear bond strength after 24 h. The translucency of the specimens was evaluated using the spectrophotometer by calculating the difference in color between the readings over a black background and a white background. Data were statistically analyzed using the independent sample t-test and analysis of variance with Bonferroni's correction and comparison was made between the specimens. Independent sample t-test demonstrated statistically significantly higher translucency for group ZLS (61.44 ± 22) as compared to group LD (20.16 ± 8.39) (P < 0.001). Group ZLS showed statistically significant higher shear bond strength when surface treatment using HF or air abrasion with synthetic DPs was performed as compared to untreated group (3.58 ± 0.45) (P < 0.001). Moreover, air abrasion group (16.79 ± 2.11 megapascal [MPa]) demonstrated statistically significant higher shear bond strength as compared to HF etched group (8.25 ± 0.30 MPa) (P < 0.001). Furthermore, statistically significant higher shear bond strength was noted when air abrasion was done for group ZLS (16.79 ± 2.11 MPa) as compared to group LD (10.82 ± 1.92 MPa) (P < 0.001). However, on surface treatment with HF, a statistically significantly lower shear bond strength was noted for group ZLS (8.25 ± 0.30 MPa) as compared to group LD (11.29 ± 0.58 MPa) (P = 0.001). ZLS demonstrated higher translucency compared to LD restorations. DP abrasion of ZLS is recommended to achieve higher shear bond strength between the ceramic and RC.

Repair Bond Strength of Aged Composite Resins Using Different Surface Treatment Protocols.

This study evaluated shear bond strength (SBS) of thermally aged composite resins repaired using different surface protocols. Four-hundred composite resin samples were made using the following materials (100 samples per material): Filtek Z350XT (FXT); Spectra Smart (SSM); IPS Empress Direct (EDI); and Forma (FOR). Each group's samples were then divided into 10 groups (n = 10 samples per group): G1: no surface treatment; G2: phosphoric acid-etching + universal-adhesive (PU); G3: surface roughening + PU (RPU); G4: RPU + silane (RPSU); G5: surface roughening + hydrofluoric acid-etching + universal adhesive (RHU); G6: RHU + silane (RHSU); G7: dry sandblast + PU (DsPU); G8: DsPU + silane (DsPSU); G9: wet sandblast + PU (WsPU); and G10: WsPU + silane (WsPSU). G1 was freshly repaired, and G2 to G10 were thermally aged before repair. Specimens were tested for SBS, and the failure type was observed with a magnifying loupe. Representative images were obtained using a scanning electronic microscope. Data were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc tests (P = .05). Differences were detected among different surface treatments and among different composite resins with equal surface treatments (P < .05). SBS means ranged from 10.48 (FOR:G2) to 20.70 (FXT:G7). The highest SBS values were seen in G7 to G10 (P > .05), while lowest values were generally observed for G2. G1 showed higher results compared to G2 (P < .05), except for EDI (P > .05). Most failures corresponded with cohesive type. In general, thermally aged composite resin presented a decreased repair bond strength potential when no additional surface treatment was applied. Sandblasting improved the SBS of repaired aged composite resins.

Correlation between surface roughness and color stability of nano- and micro-hybrid resin composites using different surface treatment protocols.

Correlation between surface roughness and color stability of nano- and micro-hybrid resin composites using different surface treatment protocols.

3D-printed chemiluminescence flow cells with customized cross-section geometry for enhanced analytical performance

Low force stereolithography is exploited for the first time for one-step facile fabrication of chemiluminescence (CL) flow-through cells that bear unrivalled features as compared to those available through milling or blowing procedures or alternative 3D printing technologies. A variety of bespoke cross-section geometries with polyhedral features (namely, triangular, square, and five-side polygon) as well as semicircular cross-section are herein critically evaluated in terms of analytical performance against the standardcircular cross-section in a flat spirally-shape format. The idea behind is to maximize capture of elicited light by the new designs while leveraging 3D printing further for fabrication of (i) customized gaskets that enable reliable attaching of the active mixing zone of the CL cell to the detection window, (ii) in-line 3D-printed serpentine reactors, and (iii) flow confluences with tailorable shapes for enhancing mixing of samples with CL reagents. Up to twenty transparent functional cells were simultaneously fabricated without inner supports following post-curing and surface treatment protocols lasting less than 5 h. In fact, previous attempts to print spirally-shaped cells in one-step by resorting to less cost effective photopolymer inkjet printing technologies were unsuccessful because of the requirement of lengthy procedures (>15 days) for quantitative removal of the support material. By exploiting the phthalazinedione-hydrogen peroxide chemistry as a model reaction, the five-side irregular pentagon cell exhibited superior analytical figures of merit in terms of LOD, dynamic range and intermediate precision as compared to alternative designs. Computational fluid dynamic simulations for mapping velocities at the entry region of the spiral cell corroborated the fact that the 5-side polygon cross-section flow-cell with Y-type confluence permitted the most efficient mixing of reagents and sample while enabling larger flow velocities near the inlet that contribute to a more efficient capture of the photons from the flash-type reaction. The applicability of the 3D-printed 5-side polygon CL cell for automatic determination of hydrogen peroxide using a computerized hybrid flow system was demonstrated for the analysis of high matrix samples, viz., seawater and saliva, with relative recoveries ranging from 83 to 103%.

Volumetric Evaluation of 3D Models Generated by Different Surface Treatment Protocols

The objective of this study was to compare the volume of three-dimensional (3D) models generated by different scanners and computational modeling protocols. Eight dry mandibles were scanned by five different computed tomography (CT) scanners and by a 3D-scanner. Three-dimensional models were generated, received different surface treatment processes, and the final volume of the 3D models was compared. The results show that there was no significant difference among the volume of the 3D models generated by the different CT scanners and surface treatment techniques, however, the model volume generated by the 3D-scanner show the highest volume. It can be concluded that the different combinations of surface treatment protocols did not determine differences in the model volume generated by different CT and CBCT scanners and that the 3D-scanner determined the highest volume models.