Apparent conversion of adhesive resin in the hybrid layer, Part II:In situstudies of the resin-dentin bond

The pursuit of resin-dentin bond durability: Simultaneous enhancement of collagen structure and polymer network formation in hybrid layers

OBJECTIVE

Imperfect polymer formation as well as collagen's susceptibility to enzymatic degradation increase the vulnerability of hybrid layers over time. This study investigated the effect of new dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-containing pretreatments on long-term bond strength, hybrid layer quality, monomer conversion and collagen structure.

METHODS

H₃PO₄-etched mid-coronal dentin surfaces from extracted human molars (n = 8) were randomly treated with aqueous and ethanolic DMSO solutions or following the ethanol-wet bonding technique. Dentin bonding was performed with a three-step etch-and-rinse adhesive. Resin-dentin beams (0.8 mm²) were stored in artificial saliva at 37 °C for 24 h and 2.5 years, submitted to microtensile bond strength testing at 0.5 mm/min and semi-quantitative SEM nanoleakage analysis (n = 8). Micro-Raman spectroscopy was used to determine the degree of conversion at different depths in the hybrid layer (n = 6). Changes in the apparent modulus of elasticity of demineralized collagen beams measuring 0.5 × 1.7 × 7 mm (n = 10) and loss of dry mass (n = 10) after 30 days were calculated via three-point bending and precision weighing, respectively.

RESULTS

DMSO-containing pretreatments produced higher bond strengths, which did not change significantly over time presenting lower incidence of water-filled zones. Higher uniformity in monomer conversion across the hybrid layer occurred for all pretreatments. DMSO-induced collagen stiffening was reversible in water, but with lower peptide solubilization.

SIGNIFICANCE

Improved polymer formation and higher stability of the collagen-structure can be attributed to DMSO's unique ability to simultaneously modify both biological and resin components within the hybrid layer. Pretreatments composed of DMSO/ethanol may be a viable-effective alternative to extend the longevity of resin-dentin bonds.

Effect of application mode on interfacial morphology and chemistry between dentine and self-etch adhesives

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the influence of application mode on the interfacial morphology and chemistry between dentine and self-etch adhesives with different aggressiveness.

METHODS

The occlusal one-third of the crown was removed from un-erupted human third molars, followed by abrading with 600 grit SiC under water. Rectangular dentine slabs were prepared by sectioning the tooth specimens perpendicular to the abraded surfaces. The obtained dentine slabs were treated with one of the two one-step self-etch adhesives: Adper Easy Bond (AEB, pH∼2.5) and Adper Prompt L-Pop (APLP, pH∼0.8) with (15s, active application) or without (15s, inactive application) agitation. The dentine slabs were fractured and the exposed adhesive/dentine (A/D) interfaces were examined with micro-Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

RESULTS

The interfacial morphology, degree of dentine demineralization (DD) and degree of conversion (DC) of the strong self-etch adhesive APLP showed more significant dependence on the application mode than the mild AEB. APLP exhibited inferior bonding at the A/D interface if applied without agitation, evidenced by debonding from the dentine substrate. The DDs and DCs of the APLP with agitation were higher than those of without agitation in the interface, in contrast to the comparable DD and DC values of two AEB specimen groups with different application modes. Raman spectral analysis revealed the important role of chemical interaction between acid monomers of self-etch adhesives and dentine in the above observations.

CONCLUSION

The chemical interaction with dentine is especially important for improving the DC of the strong self-etching adhesive at the A/D interface. Agitation could benefit polymerization efficacy of the strong self-etch adhesive through enhancing the chemical interaction with tooth substrate.

In vitro enzymatic biodegradation of adhesive resin in the hybrid layer

Penetration of adhesives into the demineralized dentin surface and their subsequent conversion are critically important to longevity of the adhesive resin (AR)-dentin bond. The durability of the resin-dentin bond is investigated by monitoring the change of adhesive concentration within the hybrid layer (HL) of aged specimens using Raman spectroscopy. Absolute molar concentrations of Bis-GMA and HEMA were measured across the HL of resin-dentin specimens 24 h after photopolymerization and after 24-week storage in one of three media: artificial saliva (SAL), SAL containing cholesterol esterase to attack resin (EST), and SAL containing bacterial collagenase to attack collagen (COL). No significant difference among these groups for both Bis-GMA and HEMA molar concentrations at 24-h storage was found; however, concentrations decreased from the AR to the middle of the HL. Concentrations remained unchanged at any resin-dentin position after aging in SAL. In the HL, concentrations significantly decreased with aging in COL and tended to decrease in EST. While showing potential enzymatic biodegradative effects of endogenous matrix metalloproteinases and salivary esterases, this methodology may also prove to be a valuable assessment of new chemistries and future approaches to improve resin-dentin bond performance. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2010.

Quantitative analysis of adhesive resin in the hybrid layer using Raman spectroscopy

The objective was to determine absolute molar concentration of adhesive resin components in the hybrid layer by establishing methods based on Raman spectroscopy fundamentals. The hybrid layer was treated as a three-component system consisting of collagen and an adhesive resin containing two monomers. Adhesive standard specimens and Raman peak area ratios obtained with a 785 nm excitation wavelength were used to construct separate calibration curves for comonomer relative molar concentration and Bis-GMA absolute molar concentration. As collagen and water had no measurable peaks in the fingerprint region, a dilution coefficient K(j) was defined to describe their impact on Raman peak area and to calculate HEMA absolute molar concentration. Methodology was validated using an analogous system containing acetone/ethanol/water. The absolute molar concentration of Bis-GMA and HEMA decreased 87% and 83%, respectively, from the top quarter to the middle of the hybrid layer. Additionally, less Bis-GMA penetrated the hybrid layer than HEMA, as indicated by the approximately 20% decrease in comonomer molar concentration ratio between the adhesive resin layer and the top half of the hybrid layer. Lack of complete monomer infiltration will further challenge dentin-adhesive bond longevity. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2010.