Effect of light-curing units, post-cured time and shade of resin cement on knoop hardness

Effect of Ceramic Interposition and Post-activation Times on Knoop Hardness of Different Shades of Resin Cement

The aim of this study was to evaluate Knoop hardness of different shades of a resin cement light-cured directly or through ceramic discs, measured 15 min or 24 h after light exposure, and at different depths. Specimens of a commercial resin cement (Variolink Veneer) in seven shades, were fabricated in an elastomeric mold, covered with a mylar strip, a 0.7 mm thick ceramic disc (IPS e.max Press) was placed and the cement was light-activated for 20 s using a blue LED (Radii-Cal). The cured resin cement specimens were transversely wet-flattened to their middle portion and microhardness (Knoop) values were recorded at 15 min after light exposure and after deionized water storage at 37 ºC for 24 h. Five indentations were made in the cross-sectional area at 100 and 700 μm depths from the top surface. Ten specimens were made for each test conditions. Data were submitted to ANOVA split-plot design (shade, post-cure time, mode of activation and depth), followed by Tukey post hoc test (α=0.05). Significant differences for shade (p<0.0001), mode of activation (p<0.001), post-cure time (p<0.0001) and depth (p<0.0001) were detected. No significant interactions (p>0.05) were found, except for shade x post-cure time (p<0.0045) and mode of activation x post-cure time (p<0.0003). Resin cement shade has a significant effect on Knoop hardness. Indirect activation through a ceramic material reduced significantly Knoop hardness. Hardness Knoop significantly increased after 24 h in all cements shades compared to values obtained after 15 min. Resin cement depth significantly reduced Knoop hardness.

Influence of Sealer and Light-Curing Units on Push-Out Bond Strength Of Composite Resin to Weakened Roots

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of sealer and light-curing unit on regional bond strength of resin composite to the weakened roots. Ninety roots of incisors were experimentally weakened, subjected to biomechanical preparation and filled with either Endofill, AH Plus or MTA Fillapex The roots were desobturated e reinforced with resin composite and fiber post light-activated with one of the light sources: halogen at 600 mW/ cm2 (QTH-600), LED at 800 mW/ cm2 (LED-800) and LED at 1500 mW/ cm2 (LED-1500). The roots were sectioned in slices from cervical, middle and apical root-reinforcement regions and analyzed by push out test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Bond strength data were analyzed using three-way ANOVA and Tukey´s test (α=0.05). Specimens filled with AH Plus had higher bond strength, followed by MTA Fillapex and Endofill (p<0.05). For light-curing unit, LED-1500 presented superior bond strength than LED-800, which was higher than QTH-600 (p<0.05). The cervical region had the greatest mean values (p<0.05) while apical part showed the lowest bond strength (p<0.05). CLMS revealed remaining filling material in the dentinal tubules for all groups. The eugenol-containing sealer (Endofill) compromised the push-out bond strength of composite resin to the root dentin. Bond strength was favored in the cervical region, and when LED-1500 was used.

Color changes in resin cement polymerized with different curing lights under indirect restorations

Aim:

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of different interface materials and curing units on color changes in a resin cement material.

Materials and Methods:

Three interface materials and different curing systems, quartz-tungsten-halogen and polywave and monowave light-emitting diode (LED) light curing units, were studied at two-time intervals. Polystyrene strip was used as a control group. All measurements were made on a white background for standard color measurement. According to the CIE L*a*b* color space, the baseline color values of each specimen were measured. Differences between the measurements were calculated as ΔE, ΔL, Δa, and Δb. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's tests (α = 0.05) with SPSS 20.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). ANOVA revealed significance for interface materials and curing units and time for ΔE (P < 0.05).

Results:

Interaction between polymerizing units, material and time was not significant (P > 0.05). Monowave LED exhibited significantly higher color changes than the other units ([P < 0.05] [ΔE 2.94 ± 0.44]). QTH promoted composite specimens significantly less color change ([P < 0.05] [ΔE 0.87 ± 0.41]).

Conclusion:

This study concluded that color of resin cement used in the adhesion of indirect restorations was affected by curing device light and indirect restoration material type.

Influence of luting agent translucency on fiber post retention

The aim was to assess the influence of cement translucency on the retentive strength of luted fiber posts. Twenty extracted human premolars were randomly divided into four equal groups, based on the combinations of materials to be tested. Two post types of the same size, shape, and chemical composition, but different light-transmission properties [Translucent post (TP) and Opaque post (OP)] were selected. The two post types were luted using the etch-and-rinse, light-curing adhesive in combination with two shades of the same resin cement of markedly different light-transmitting ability [Transparent shade (TS) and Opaque shade (OS)]. Early post retention was assessed using the thin-slice push-out test. Post type did not significantly influence post retention; however, cement translucency emerged as a relevant factor in intraradicular cementation, with the TS achieving higher push-out strengths. The between-factor interaction was also statistically significant; specifically, OP-OS yielded significantly lower retentive strengths than all the other groups. Post translucency did not influence post retention, provided that a highly translucent cement was utilized for luting.

Marginal adaptation of indirect restorations using different resin coating protocols

This study evaluated the influence of material combinations used in the resin coating technique (RCT) on the marginal adaptation of indirect restorations with gingival margins in enamel (EM) and cement (CM). Eighty third-molars were used. Two cavities were prepared in each tooth. The cavities were distributed into 16 groups. Cavities with EM were filled with the following material combinations: G1: Single-Bond 2 (Sb2), G2: Sb2 + Bond/Scotchbond-Multipurpose (Sb2B), G3: Sb2 + Filtek-Flow Z350 (Sb2Fl), G4: Scotchbond-Multipurpose (SBMP), G5: Clearfil-S3 (CS3), G6: CS3 + Bond/Clearfil-SE Bond (CSE3B), G7: CS3 + Protect Liner F (CS3PL) and G8: Clearfil SE Bond + Protect Liner F (CSEBPL). The same combinations were applied to the cavities in CM: G9, G10, G11, G12, G13, G14, G15, G16, respectively. The fillings were performed with the Sinfony-System (3M/ESPE). After 24 h, the teeth were submitted to thermocycling (2,000 cycles, 5° to 55°C) and load-cycling (50,000 cycles, 50 N). Next, the Caries-Detector (Kuraray) was applied to the restoration margins. Images from the proximal margin were evaluated using the Image-Tool 3.0 software. The results were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey's test (α=0.05). The mean values (%) for the groups were: EM: G1=46.68, G2=15.53, G3=19.83, G4=27.53; G5=59.49, G6=25.13, G7=34.37, G8=15.20; CM: G9=38.38, G10=23.25, G11=26.97, G12=25.85, G13=37.81, G14=30.62, G15=29.17, G16=20.31. The highest percentages of marginal gap on EM or CM were found in the groups that did not use a liner. It can be concluded that the most appropriate RCT combinations were the groups that used a liner.

Microhardness of different resin cement shades inside the root canal

Objectives: To compare microhardness along the root canal post space of two resin cements in different shades and a dual-cure resin core material. Study Design: Root canals of 21 bovine incisors were prepared for post space. Translucent posts (X•Post, Dentsply DeTrey) were luted using one the following resin luting agent: Calibra (Dentsply DeTrey) in Translucent, Medium and Opaque shades, RelyX Unicem (3M ESPE) in Translucent, A2 and A3 shades and the dual-cure resin core material Core•X flow. All materials were applied according to manufacturers’ instructions and were all photopolymerized (Bluephase LED unit, Ivoclar Vivadent, 40s). After 24 hours, roots were transversally cut into 9 slices 1 mm thick from the coronal to apical extremes, three corresponding to each root third. Then, VHNs were recorded (100 gf, 30 s) on the resin luting materials along the adhesive interface in all sections. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and SNK tests (α=0.05). Results: A significant influence on microhardness of resin luting material in their respective shades (p<0.001), root third (p<0.001) and interactions between them was detected (p<0.001). RelyX Unicem cement showed the highest microhardness values and Calibra the lowest, regardless of the shade selected. All resin luting materials tested exhibited a significantly higher microhardness in the cervical third. Conclusions: Microhardness of resin luting agents tested inside the canal is dependent on material brand and resin cement shade seems to be a less relevant factor. Microhardness decreased along the root canal, regardless of the shade selected.

Key words:Cement shade, degree of conversion, dual-cured resin cements, fiber posts, microhardness, root thirds.

Evaluation of light-curing units in rural and urban areas

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the distribution of light-curing units (LCU) used in an urban area (Riyadh) and a rural area (Kharj) of Saudi Arabia, and to compare their irradiance values.

METHODS

The study involved three dental centers in urban areas and two in rural areas, all of which were parts of a single healthcare institution providing dental services. The light outputs (power mW) from 140 LCUs were measured by laboratory-grade spectrometry, and the irradiance (mW/cm(2)) was calculated from the tip area of each LCU. The minimum acceptable irradiance outputs for the quartz-tungsten-halogen (QTH) and light-emitting diode (LED) units were set at 300 and 600 mW/cm(2), respectively. The ages of these units and the protocol used to light-cure the resins were also determined.

RESULTS

The total number of LCUs was 140, 112 (78%) in urban areas, and 28 (22%) in rural areas. In rural areas, only 7 of the 22 (32%) QTH units delivered irradiances greater than 300 mW/cm(2) and were therefore considered clinically acceptable, whereas 4 of the 6 (66.7%) LED units delivered values greater than 600 mW/cm(2). In urban centers, 43 of 61 (70.5%) LED units and 25 of 61 (49%) QTH units were considered clinically acceptable. Irradiance values for both QTH (P < 0.01) and LED (P < 0.05) units were significantly better in urban than in rural areas.

CONCLUSIONS

Urban areas had a greater distribution of LCUs than rural areas. Overall, irradiance values were significantly higher in urban areas.

Effect of light-activation with different light-curing units and time intervals on resin cement bond strength to intraradicular dentin

The aim of this study was to assess the bond strength of a resin cement to intraradicular dentin varying the light-curing unit and the moment at which the light was applied. Post spaces of endodontically treated canines were prepared. The roots were distributed into 6 groups (n=10) according to the light-curing unit and the moment of light exposure: I) Quartz tungsten halogen-600 mW/cm² (QTH) + immediate light activation (t0); II) QTH + light activation after 10 min (t10); III) Light-emitting diodes (LED)-800 mW/cm² (LED-800)+ t0; IV) LED-800 + t10; V) LED-1,500 mW/cm² (LED-1500)+ t0; VI) LED-1500 + t10. After post cementation, slices from coronal, middle and apical post/root regions were submitted to the push-out test and failure evaluation. It was verified that LED-800 (4.40 ± 3.00 MPa) and LED-1500 (4.67 ± 3.04 MPa) provided bond strength statistically superior to QTH (3.13 ± 1.76 MPa) (p<0.05), and did not differ from each other (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between t0 and t10 (p>0.05). Coronal post/root region (4.75 ± 3.10 MPa) presented significantly higher bond strength than the apical (3.32 ± 2.30 MPa) (p<0.05) and middle regions (4.14 ± 2.99 MPa) showed intermediate values. Adhesive failures were predominant when using QTH. Adhesive and mixed failures occurred more frequently in the apical region. Higher adhesion of the resin cement to intraradicular dentin was observed in the coronal region with LED light-activation, regardless of the moment of light exposure.

A critical analysis of the degree of conversion of resin-based luting cements

Objective

This study analyzed the degree of conversion (DC%) of four resin-based cements (All Ceram, Enforce, Rely X ARC and Variolink II) activated by two modes (chemical and dual), and evaluated the decrease of DC% in the dual mode promoted by the interposition of a 2.0-mm-thick IPS Empress 2 disc.

Material and Methods

In the chemical activation, the resin-based cements were prepared by mixing equal amounts of base and catalyst pastes. In the dual activation, after mixing, the cements were light-activated at 650 mW/cm² for 40 s. In a third group, the cements were lightactivated through a 2.0-mm-thick IPS Empress 2 disc. The DC% was evaluated in a FT-IR spectrometer equipped with an attenuated total reflectance crystal (ATR). The data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD test.

Results

For all resin-based cements, the DC% was significantly higher with dual activation, followed by dual activation through IPS Empress 2, and chemical activation (p<0.05). Irrespective of the activation mode, Rely X presented the highest DC% (p<0.05). Chemically activated Variolink and All Ceram showed the worst results (p<0.05). The DC% decreased significantly when activation was performed through a 2.0-mm-thick IPS Empress 2 disc (p<0.05).

Conclusions

The results of the present study suggest that resin-based cements could present low DC% when the materials are dually activated through 2.0 mm of reinforced ceramic materials with translucency equal to or less than that of IPS-Empress 2.

Dual resin cement knoop hardness after different activation modes through dental ceramics

This study investigated the influence of ceramic compositions on Knoop Hardness Number (KHN) immediately and 24 h after polymerization and the effect of activation modes on the KHN of a resin cement. Ten Panavia F 2.0 resin cement discs were activated either directly using curing light, or chemically without light, or through 1.2-thick ceramic discs. The following ceramics were evaluated: Duceram, Cergogold, IPS Empress, IPS Empress 2, Procera, Cercon, In Ceram Alumina and In Ceram Zirconia. The KHN was obtained immediately and after 24-h testing time. Two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test were performed for statistical analysis (p<0.05). Direct activation showed higher KHN than activation through ceramics and chemical activation for both immediate and 24-h post activation. The KHN for 24-h post activation time was higher than that of the immediate post activation time except for the direct activation mode. The glass and di-silicate based ceramics showed higher KHN than alumina- and zirconia-based ceramics, immediately and after 24-h. The reinforced and opaque ceramics had the lowest KHN. The ceramic composition resulted in light attenuation, lower polymerization and lower KHN, and the 24-h testing time promoted an improvement of KHN except for direct activation mode.

Effect of thickness of indirect restoration and distance from the light-curing unit tip on the hardness of a dual-cured resin cement

This study evaluated the Knoop hardness and polymerization depth of a dual-cured resin cement, light-activated at different distances through different thicknesses of composite resin. One bovine incisor was embedded in resin and its buccal surface was flattened. Dentin was covered with PVC film where a mold (0.8-mm-thick and 5 mm diameter) was filled with cement and covered with another PVC film. Light curing (40 s) was carried out through resin discs (2, 3, 4 or 5 mm) with a halogen light positioned 0, 1, 2 or 3 mm from the resin surface. After storage, specimens were sectioned for hardness measurements (top, center, and bottom). Data were subjected to split-plot ANOVA and Tukey's test (a=0.05). The increase in resin disc thickness decreased cement hardness. The increase in the distance of the light-curing tip decreased hardness at the top region. Specimens showed the lowest hardness values at the bottom, and the highest at the center. Resin cement hardness was influenced by the thickness of the indirect restoration and by the distance between the light-curing unit tip and the resin cement surface.