The effect of dentine location and tubule orientation on the bond strengths between resin and dentine.

This study determined the influence of dentine structure on the micro-tensile bond strengths between resin and dentine of two different dentine adhesive systems (Single Bond, 3M Dental Products, St Paul, MN; MF-102 (experimental self-etching primer), GC Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). The study was separated into two main parts: bond strength measurement and investigation of the bonding interface. Twenty-two human premolars were used for the bond strength measurement. Each tooth was cut vertically, separating the tooth into mesio-distal halves. One half of the tooth was used to bond to a surface perpendicular to the dentinal tubules and other half to bond to a surface parallel to the tubules. For each half, six locations of dentine were bonded. Each material was used in accordance to the manufacturer's directions. Cylindrical hourglass-shaped specimens of 1.2 mm diameter at the bonded interface were manufactured. The bonds were stressed in tension at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. Mean bond strengths were compared using LSD, one-way ANOVA, and Student's t-test. The fractured surfaces were examined under a scanning electron microscope, and the frequency of fracture modes was compared using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. For the investigation of the bonded interface, four teeth were prepared by the same procedure used for the bond test specimens. The bonded interfaces were observed after an acid-base treatment or fracturing across the bonded interface, prior to investigation with a field-emission scanning electron microscope. For Single Bond, the bond strengths for mid-root dentine were significantly lower than for other locations (p < 0.05). For MF-102, there was no significant difference for all locations (p > 0.05). MF-102 bonded well to all locations of dentine while Single Bond showed a porous zone at the base of the hybrid layer. The bonds were not influenced by tubule orientation. The results indicate that the bond for Single Bond may be affected by its ability to penetrate demineralised dentine in different locations of a tooth. The self-etching primer of MF-102 produces a good bond and is independent of the position on the tooth.