The effect of dentin pre-treatment with activated riboflavin on the bond strength of a two-step self-etch adhesive system

Riboflavin-ultraviolet-A collagen crosslinking treatments in improving dentin bonding and resistance to enzymatic digestion

Background/purpose

The efficacy of riboflavin-ultraviolet-A (RF-UVA) treatment in crosslinking collagen and improving dentin bonding has been proven. However, biodegradation of the hybrid layer may compromise the bonding. The purpose of this study was to evaluate different RF-UVA treatments regarding their ability to preserve dentin bonding from enzymatic digestion.

Materials and methods

Collagen subjected to different RF (0.1 %, 1 %)-UVA (1, 2, 5 min) treatments and 5 % glutaraldehyde (GA), without or with enzymatic digestion, were examined by gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Twenty-five teeth with exposed dentin were primed with one of three RF-UVA treatments (0.1 %RF/1-minUVA, 0.1 %RF/2-minUVA, and 1 %RF/1-minUVA), GA, or distilled water after acid-etching, then restored with an adhesive and a resin composite. After 24-h storage, these teeth were sectioned into microbeams. Half of them received an early microtensile bond strength (μTBS) test, while the other half was stored in enzyme solution for 7 days before testing. Nanoleakage and hybrid layer degradation were examined by TEM.

Results

According to SDS-PAGE results, all groups showed the dissipation of intense γ bands of collagen after digestion. For the early bonded specimens and after enzymatic digestions, 0.1 %RF/2-minUVA treated group presented the highest μTBS and none of premature failure. Its TEM images showed less nanoleakage after digestion, which is contributed to the well suspended collagen fibrils and resin infiltration in the hybrid layer.

Conclusion

RF-UVA treatment attained collagen crosslinking effects to improve resin-dentin bonding. 0.1 %RF/2-minUVA effectively enhanced dentin bond strength and resistance to enzymatic digestion by optimally expanding dentinal collagen matrix to facilitate hybrid layer formation.

Effect of Collagen Crosslinkers on Dentin Bond Strength of Adhesive Systems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This study aimed to identify the role of crosslinking agents in the resin–dentin bond strength (BS) when used as modifiers in adhesives or pretreatments to the dentin surface through a systematic review and meta-analysis. This paper was conducted according to the directions of the PRISMA 2020 statement. The research question of this review was: “Would the use of crosslinkers agents improve the BS of resin-based materials to dentin?” The literature search was conducted in the following databases: Embase, PubMed, Scielo, Scopus, and Web of Science. Manuscripts that reported the effect on the BS after the use of crosslinking agents were included. The meta-analyses were performed using Review Manager v5.4.1. The comparisons were performed by comparing the standardized mean difference between the BS values obtained using the crosslinker agent or the control group. The subgroup comparisons were performed based on the adhesive strategy used (total-etch or self-etch). The immediate and long-term data were analyzed separately. A total of 50 articles were included in the qualitative analysis, while 45 articles were considered for the quantitative analysis. The meta-analysis suggested that pretreatment with epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), carbodiimide, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), glutaraldehyde, and riboflavin crosslinking agents improved the long-term BS of resin composites to dentin (p ≤ 0.02). On the other hand, the use of proanthocyanidins as a pretreatment improved both the immediate and long-term BS values (p ≤ 0.02). When incorporated within the adhesive formulation, only glutaraldehyde, riboflavin, and EGCG improved the long-term BS to dentin. It could be concluded that the application of different crosslinking agents such as carbodiimide, EDTA, glutaraldehyde, riboflavin, and EGCG improved the long-term BS of adhesive systems to dentin. This effect was observed when these crosslinkers were used as a separate step and when incorporated within the formulation of the adhesive system.