Effect of conditioning and 3-year aging on the bond strength and interfacial morphology of glass-ionomer cement bonded to dentin.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Glass-ionomer cement (GIC) is bioactive and independent. Bioactivity, which is a big trend in restorative dentistry. When they actively stimulate with microbiological species besides their primary function of restoring tooth structure then restorative materials should called "bioactive" materials. The purpose of this study was to determine the bond stability and the change in interfacial ultra-structure of a conventional glass-ionomer cement bonded to dentin, with and without pre-treatment using a polyalkenoic acid conditioner.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The occlusal dentin surfaces of six teeth were ground flat. Glass-ionomer cement was bonded to the surfaces either with or without polyalkenoic acid conditioning. The teeth were sectioned into 1-mm stick-shaped specimens. The specimens obtained were randomly assigned to two groups with different periods of storage in water: 1-week and 3-year. The micro-tensile bond strength (μTBS) was determined for each storage time. Additional specimens were prepared for interfacial analysis by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM); they were produced with or without prior polyalkenoic acid conditioning in the same way as in the μTBS test.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in μTBS to conditioned dentin and non-conditioned dentin (p > 0.05). The failures appeared to be of a mixed nature, although aging caused more areas of cohesive than adhesive failure in both groups.

CONCLUSION

Aging did not reduce the bond strength of the conventional glass-ionomer cement to dentin with or without the use of a polyalkenoic acid conditioner. Remineralized dentin layer were observed in both conditioned and unconditioned 3-years specimens.