Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of dentin moisture (moist and dry) on the bonding of fiber posts to root dentin with different adhesive strategies (etch-and-rinse, self-etch, and self-adhesive). Seventy-two extracted single-rooted human teeth were endodontically treated and divided into six groups (n = 12) according to the moisture of dentin surface and adhesive systems as follows: a) etch-and-rinse/moist, b) etch-and-rinse/dry, c) self-etch/moist, d) self-etch/dry, e) self-adhesive/moist, and 6) self-adhesive/dry. The specimens were sectioned into six slices for push-out bond strength (BS), nanoleakage (NL) by SEM, and Vickers microhardness (VHN) of the resin cement. A universal testing machine (AG-I, Shimadzu Autograph) was used at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min until post extrusion, with a load cell of 50 kg for evaluation of the push-out strength. Data on BS, NL, and VHN were evaluated by two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). Dentin moisture as the main factor was not significantly different for the push-out test. However, higher BS values can be observed for the etch-and-rinse group. A lower percentage of NL was found in the dry dentin groups. The moisture pattern was not significant in the hardness values for the pre-etching groups. Additional moisture did not increase the evaluated properties.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of the application of different concentrations of EDTA on the adhesion of fiber posts to root dentin using self-adhesive resin cements. After endodontic treatment, 78 single roots were randomly divided into six groups (n = 13) according to the combination of the following factors: surface dentin treatment – control (distilled water), 17% EDTA and 24% EDTA; and self-adhesive resin cement - RelyX U200 (RX); and Multilink Speed (ML). After fiber post cementation, six slices were obtained for each root. Ten roots of each group were used for bond strength (BS) and three for microhardness (MH) evaluations. Data obtained from BS and MH tests for each resin cement were subjected to two-way ANOVA (surface treatment vs. root region) and to a post-hoc Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). The lowest BS value was observed in the 24% EDTA group for RX cement, whereas the highest values for ML cement were observed for the control group in the middle and apical regions. In the MH test, the lowest value for RX was observed for 24% EDTA in the cervical region, whereas and the highest value for the ML cement was observed in the control group. Regarding both self-adhesive resin cements tested, the application of 24% EDTA was not able to improve the adhesion of fiber posts to root canal.

Resumo: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar diferentes protocolos de condicionamento e a aplicação sônica/ultrassônica de uma resina infiltrante (RI) em lesões de mancha branca produzidas artificialmente (LMBA). As superfícies vestibulares/linguais de 48 molares foram induzidas à formação de LMBA e divididas em 6 grupos, de acordo com os protocolos de condicionamento e técnica de aplicação da resina infiltrante: ácido hidroclorídrico 15% (AH) + aplicação manual da RI; AH + ácido fosfórico 37% (AF) + aplicação manual da RI; AH + aplicação ultrassônica da RI (U); AH + aplicação sônica da RI (S); AF + AH + S; e AF + AH + U. para o grau de penetração (GP), condicionou-se as coroas com AH por 120 s. A RI Icon® (DMG) foi aplicada de acordo com as instruções do fabricante. As coroas foram coradas (rodamina B 0,1% por 12 h) e clareadas com peróxido de hidrogênio 30% por 12 h. os discos foram imersos em solução de etanol 50%, contendo 100 µM de fluoresceína sódica. O GP (em µm) foi mensurado por meio de microscopia confocal a laser (20´). A resistência de união (RU) foi calculada pelo teste de microcisalhamento (0,5 mm/min). Os dados foram submetidos ao teste ANOVA 2 fatores e Tukey (α=0,05). Para RU, a interação não foi significante (p>0,05). Para GP, os fatores principais foram significantes (técnica de aplicação - p<0,001; protocolos de condicionamento - p=0,003). A aplicação U mostrou os maiores valores de GP. AF+AH demonstrou resultados superiores ao grupo AH. As aplicações sônica/ultrassônica e o uso do ácido fosfórico antes do ácido hidroclorídrico aumentaram o GP da resina infiltrante. Os protocolos de condicionamento ou as técnicas de aplicação não influenciaram os valores de RU.

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate different conditioning protocols and sonic/ultrasonic application of an infiltrant resin (IR) in artificial white spot lesions (AWSL). the V/L surfaces of 48 molars were induced to an AWSL and divided in 6 groups, according to the conditioning protocols and application technique: 15% hydrochloric acid (HA) + manual application of the IR; HA + 37% phosphoric acid (PA) + manual application of the IR; HA + ultrasonic application (U) of the IR; HA + sonic application (S) of the IR; PA+HA+S; and PA+HA+U. For the Penetration Depth (PD), the crowns were etched with HA for 120s. The IR Icon® (DMG) was applied according to the manufacturer`s instructions. The crowns were dye penetrated (0.1% red fluorophore rhodamine B isothiocyanate for 12h) and bleached with 30% hydrogen peroxide for 12 h. The discs were immersed in a 50% ethanol solution, containing 100 µM of sodium fluorescein. The PD (in µm) was measured using confocal laser scanning microscopy (20x). The bond strength (BS) was performed by michoshear test (0.5 mm/min). Data were submitted to 2-way ANOVA and Tukey (α=0.05). For BS, the interaction was not significant (p>0.05). For PD, the main factors were significant (application - p<0.001; conditioning technique - p=0.003). The ultrasonic application showed the highest PD values. PA+HA presented higher results than HA. The sonic/ultrasonic applications and the use of phosphoric acid prior to hydrochloric acid improved PD of the infiltrant resin. Conditioning protocols or application techniques did not influence BS values.

Abstract The aim of this study was to compare in vitro the bond strength (BS) between fiberglass posts and flared root canals reinforced with different materials. The roots of 48 premolars were endodontically treated. After one week, the root canals were prepared to simulate an oversized root canal, except for the positive control group (PCG), which was cemented with a prefabricated fiber post (PFP) compatible with the root canal size, simulating an ideal adaptation. The other samples (n=8/group) were used to test alternative restorative techniques for filling root canals: negative control group (NCG [PFP with a smaller diameter than of the root canal]), composite resin group - CRG, bulkfill group - BFG, self-adhesive cement group - SAG, and glass ionomer group - GIG. The posts were cemented and after 1 week, each root was sectioned transversely into six 1-mm thick discs and the push-out test was done to evaluate the BS. Data were analyzed by two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey's tests (α=0.05). The highest BS value was observed for PCG. The NCG and the GIG groups showed the lowest BS values. Root reinforcement with conventional and bulk-fill composite resins showed the highest BS values; however, the bulk-fill resin was the only treatment able to maintain high BS values in all regions of the root canal. The self-adhesive cement showed intermediate results between CRG and GIG. Root reinforcement with bulk-fill composite resin is an effective option for flared root canals before cementation of a prefabricated fiber post.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the influence of two curing techniques on the degree of conversion (DC) of resin cements and on bond strength (BS) of fiber posts in different regions of root dentin. Material and Methods Twenty single-rooted premolars were endodontically treated, and the post spaces were prepared. The roots were randomly divided into two groups (n=10), according to the activation mode of the resin cement RelyX™ U200 (3M ESPE Saint Paul, MN, USA): conventional (continuous activation mode) and soft-start activation mode (Ramp). The posts (WhitePost DC/FGM) were cemented according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and, after one week, the roots were cross-sectioned into six discs each of 1-mm thickness, and the cervical, medium, and apical thirds of the root canals were identified. The DC was evaluated under micro-Raman spectroscopy and the BS was evaluated by the push-out test. The data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (α=0.05). Results Neither the activation mode nor the root regions affected the DC of the resin cement. Higher BS was achieved in the soft-start group (p=0.036); lower BS was observed in the apical third compared to the other root regions (p<0.001). Irrespective of the activation mode and root region, the mixed failure mode was the most prevalent. Conclusion The BS of fiber posts to root canals can be improved by soft-started polymerization. The DC was not affected by the curing mode.

Abstract Aim: To evaluate the effect of different in-office bleaching agents on the permeability, roughness and surface microhardness of human enamel. Methods: For evaluation of roughness and microhardness, 40 hemi-faces of 20 premolars were subjected to initial roughness (Ra parameter) and microhardness (VHN) measurements. Thirty-two premolar's crowns were used for permeability test. Then, all specimens were randomly divided into four groups: C - without bleaching (control), HP35 - bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP), HPF38 - 38% HP+fluoride, HPC35 - 35% HP+calcium. Final roughness (FR) and microhardness (FM) measurements were evaluated. For permeability, the 32 crowns were immersed in 1% sodium hypochlorite (20 min) and silver nitrate solutions (2 h) and subjected to developing solution under fluorescent light (16 h). Three sections from the crowns were analyzed in light microscope (100x) to evaluate the scores of permeability: Score 0 - no tracer agent penetration; Score 1 - less than half the thickness of enamel penetration; Score 2 - tracer agent reaching half the enamel thickness; Score 3 - entire enamel depth penetration, without reaching dentin and Score 4 - tracer agent reaching dentin. For roughness and microhardness evaluation were used one-way ANOVA and Dunnet post-test for independent samples, and t test for paired samples. For permeability, the data were analyzed by Kruskal Wallis and Dunn tests. Results: A significantly higher permeability and surface roughness were observed in groups HP35, HPF38 and HPC35 compared to the C group, as well as decreased microhardness (p<0.05). Conclusions: All bleaching agents increased permeability and surface roughness, and decreased microhardness of human enamel; thus, the addition of fluoride or calcium was not beneficial.

AIM: To evaluate the influence of finishing and polishing techniques on the surface roughness of two composite resins (CRs) subjected to bleaching procedure.METHODS: Forty-eight CR specimens were divided into six groups (n=8). For G1 to G3, a microhybrid CR (Opallis; FGM) was used, and G4 to G6, received a nanohybrid CR (Brilliant NewLine; Coltène/Whaledent). All specimens were subjected to bleaching procedure with 35% hydrogen peroxide (two 45-min applications, with a 5-day interval). The surface roughness of all specimens was evaluated before and after the bleaching and/or finishing/polishing (Ra parameter) by a roughness meter. After bleaching, the groups were subjected to finishing and polishing procedures: G2 and G5 - felt discs + diamond pastes; and G3 and G6 - silicon rubber tips. The control groups (G1 and G4) had no finishing or polishing treatment after bleaching. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey's post-test, and t test for paired samples (a=0.05).RESULTS: bleaching treatment increased Ra values for the nanohybrid CR specimens, but both finishing/polishing techniques were able to reduce these values; for the microhybrid specimens, only finishing/polishing with silicon rubber tips decreased the roughness values.CONCLUSIONS: For both microhybrid and nanohybrid CRs, the silicon rubber tips were effective to reduce the surface roughness after bleaching procedure.

AIM: To evaluate the human enamel permeability after different external bleaching techniques. METHODS: The coronal portions of 20 maxillary human incisors were covered with an acid resistant varnish, except the labial surface, to prevent dye penetration of silver nitrate. The specimens were divided randomly into four groups (n=5) according to the bleaching treatments: Group 1 (G1) - without bleaching agent (control group), Group 2 (G2) - 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP) - one session of three 10-min applications, Group 3 (G3) - 35% HP - 2 sessions of three 10-min applications, and Group 4 (G4) - 6% HP - 14 days (1h/day). G1 was exposed to artificial saliva only and in the other groups the bleaching agents were applied following the manufacturers' recommendations. After bleaching, teeth were immersed in a 50% silver nitrate solution for 2 h and photodeveloped for 16 h. Then, three longitudinal slices of each tooth were photographed by an optical microscope (100x). The degree of dye penetration was analyzed in the middle third of the dental crowns using a 0 to 4 score system (0= no dye penetration, 1= less than half the enamel thickness, 2= half of the enamel thickness, 3= full extent of enamel without reaching the dentin, and 4= tracer agent reaching dentin). The data were analyzed statistically by the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests (α=0.05). RESULTS: The median (1st/3rd interquartiles) ranges were: G1: 0(0/0), G2: 2(2/3), G3: 3(3/3) and G4: 3(3/3). G2, G3 and G4 showed significantly higher dye penetration compared with G1 (p=0.0017). CONCLUSIONS: The use of bleaching agents increased dental enamel permeability, regardless of the bleaching technique.

Esse estudo avaliou a influência do sistema de cimentação na resistência de união regional e os padrões de fratura de pinos de fibra à dentina radicular. As raízes de 48 incisivos humanos extraídos foram preparadas e divididas em 3 grupos (n=16) de acordo com o sistema de cimentação: AdperScotchbond Multi-Purpose + cimento resinoso RelyX ARC (SBMP+ARC); AdperSingle Bond 2 + RelyX ARC (SB+ARC) e cimento resinoso autoadesivo RelyX U100 (U100). Os pinos foram cimentados conforme as recomendações dos fabricantes para cada sistema de cimentação. Após uma semana, as raízes foram seccionadas transversalmente em 6 discos. Dois discos foram obtidos para os terços coronário, médio e apical e o teste de push-out foi realizado. O padrão de fratura foi avaliado em todos os espécimes. Os dados obtidos foram analisados através dos testes ANOVA dois fatores e Tukey. Quando o cimento U100 foi testado, não foram observadas diferenças significativas (p>0,05) entre as diferentes regiões radiculares. Valores de resistência de união significativamente superiores foram encontrados no terço coronário para SBMP+ARC e SB+ARC (p<0,05). O U100 apresentou significativamente mais fraturas mistas que o SBMP+ARC no terço apical (p<0,05). Conclui-se que o cimento resinoso autoadesivo RelyX U100 foi o único cimento não afetado pela região do canal radicular.

This study evaluated the influence of the cementation system on the regional push-out bond strength and failure pattern of fiber posts to radicular dentin. The roots of 48 extracted human incisors were prepared and divided into 3 groups (n=16), according to the cementation system: AdperScotchbond Multi-Purpose + resin cement RelyX ARC (SBMP+ARC); Adper SingleBond 2 + RelyX ARC (SB+ARC) and; RelyX U100 self-adhesive resin cement (U100). The posts were cemented as per manufacturer’s instructions for each cementation system. After 1 week, the roots were sectioned transversely into 6 discs. Two discs were obtained from the cervical, middle and apical thirds and the push-out test was carried out. The failure pattern was examined on all debonded specimens. The data were analyzed by two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey’s test. When U100 was used, no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) was observed among the different root regions. Statistically higher push-out bond strength values were detected in the cervical third for SBMP+ARC and SB+ARC (p<0.05). The U100 showed significantly more mixed failures than SBMP+ARC in the apical third (p<0.05). In conclusion, the self-adhesive cement RelyX U100 was the only cement not sensitive to the root canal region.

Avaliou-se a microdureza de uma resina composta para dentes clareados fotoativada com diferentes fontes de luz fotoativadora. Espécimes de resina composta (3M ESPE Filtek Supreme) foram aplicados a cilindros de latão (2 mm de espessura, 5 mm de diâmetro). Três fontes comerciais de luz LED foram utilizadas para polimerizar os espécimes e os resultados foram comparados aos obtidos utilizando-se uma fonte de luz halógena convencional. As fontes de luz utilizadas no presente estudo foram: Demetron Optilux 401 (QTH), 3M ESPE Elipar FreeLight (LED 1); Kerr L.E.Demetron I (LED 2), e ColtoluxLED lights (LED 3). A microdureza das superfícies topo e base foram avaliadas com um microdurômetro digital (Dureza Vickers), sob aplicação de carga. Na superfície base não se observou diferença significante entre as fontes de luz utilizadas (ANOVA, dois critérios). Na superfície topo, a fonte de luz QTH apresentou valores de dureza significantemente maiores quando comparado aos valores apresentados quando LED 1 e LED 3 foram utilizadas. Não houve diferença significante entre QTH e LED 2. Observou-se também diferença significante entre os valores das superfície topo, que foram significantemente superiores, e base. A densidade de potência das fontes de luz fotoativadoras mostrou ser responsável pela dureza da resina composta e não a irradiância.

The microhardness of a bleaching-shade resin composite polymerized with different light-curing units was evaluated. Composite samples (3M ESPE Filtek Supreme) were applied to brass rings (2 mm in thickness, 5 mm in diameter). Three commercial LED lights were used to polymerize the specimens and the results were compared to those of a conventional halogen light. The light sources used in the present study were: Demetron Optilux 401 (QTH), 3M ESPE Elipar FreeLight (LED 1); Kerr L.E.Demetron I (LED 2), and ColtoluxLED lights (LED 3). The microhardness of the top and bottom surfaces was assessed with a digital Vickers hardness-measuring instrument, under load. At the bottom surface, no significant difference among the light sources was observed (two-way ANOVA). At the top surface, the QTH light source presented significantly higher hardness values compared to the values observed when LED 1 and LED 3 were used. There were no significant differences between the QTH and LED 2 light sources. Significantly higher hardness values were also found at the top surface when compared to the values observed at the bottom surface. The power density of the polymerization light sources seemed to be responsible for the observed resin composite hardness, not their irradiance.