Effect of nonthermal atmospheric plasma on bond strength of composite resin using total-etch and self-etch adhesive systems

Effect of Non-thermal Plasma Therapy on Pushout Bond Strength of Epoxy Resin and Tricalcium Silicate-Based Endodontic Sealers

Introduction: The current study aimed to assess the effect of non-thermal plasma (NTP) on the pushout bond strength (PBS) of epoxy resin and tricalcium silicate-based endodontic sealers. Methods: Forty single-canal extracted teeth were decoronated at the coronal region, underwent root canal preparation, and were assigned to four groups (n=10) for the application of AH26 sealer, NTP+AH26 (P-AH26), Endoseal TCS sealer, and NTP+Endoseal TCS sealer (P-TCS). The root canals were sectioned into 1 mm slices, and the PBS value was measured in a universal testing machine. Data were analyzed by the Friedman, Kruskal-Wallis, and Dunn tests (P<0.05). Results: The PBS of TCS and P-TCS groups was not significantly different (P>0.05). The PBS of the P-AH26 group was significantly lower than that of the AH26 group in the middle third (P<0.05). The PBS of the AH26 group was higher than the other groups in all sections. The PBS in the apical third was lower than other sections in all groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: NTP had no significant effect on the PBS of Endoseal TCS. NTP significantly decreased the PBS of AH26 sealer in the middle third but had no significant effect on its bond strength in other sections.

Argon Plasma Treatment Effects on the Micro-Shear Bond Strength of Lithium Disilicate with Dental Resin Cements

The low bond strength of lithium disilicate (LD) ceramics to dental resin cements remains a critical issue for dental applications because it leads to frequent replacement and causes tooth tissue destruction and consumption. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of atmospheric non-thermal argon plasma (NTP) treatment on LD to improve its micro-shear bond strength (μSBS) with dental resin cements because LD mostly experiences shear stress for its commonly used dental applications as crowns or veneers. Argon plasma treatment was performed on hydrofluoric (HF) acid-etched LD surfaces, and then commercial resin cements were subsequently applied to the treated LD surfaces. The plasma treatment significantly reduced the water contact angle of the LD surface to less than 10° without changing the surface morphology. The μSBS test was performed with cement-bonded LD samples after 24 h and 30 days, as well as after 1000 cycles of thermal cycling. The test results show that, as compared with the untreated controls, 300 s of plasma treatment significantly improved the LD-resin cement bond strength by 59.1%. After 30 days of storage in DI water and 1000 cycles of thermal cycling, the plasma-treated LD samples show 84.2% and 44.8% higher bond strengths as compared to the control samples, respectively. The plasma treatment effect on LD surfaces diminished rapidly as the bond strength decreased to 25.5 MPa after aging in the air for 1 day prior to primer and cement application, suggesting that primers should be applied to the LD surfaces immediately after the plasma treatment. These results demonstrate that, when applied with caution, plasma treatment can activate LD surfaces and significantly improve the SBS of LD with dental resin cements in both short-term and long-term periods.