Contraction stress and bond strength to dentinfor compatible and incompatible combinations of bonding systems and chemical and light-cured core build-up resin composites.

Objective: Recent studies have shown that adhesives containing acidic monomers combined with composites can adversely effect the polymerization reaction producing low bond strengths. This phenomenon may also occur in making composite build-ups, jeopardizing one of the key factors for a successful core build-up restoration. The aim of this study was to investigate the contraction stress development and bond strength to dentin of core build-up resin composites combined with adhesives of various acidities. In addition the hypothesis tested was that light irradiation through chemical-cured composites during curing does not influence contraction stress or bond strength to dentin.

Methods: The chemical-cured (Clearfil Core) and light-cured (Clearfil Photo Core) core build-up resin composites were combined with two light-cured adhesives, Clearfil SE Bond (pH=1.8) and One-Step Bond (pH=4.3) and two dual-cured adhesives, Clearfil Photo Bond (pH=2.5) and All-Bond 2 (pH=6.1). Contraction stress development (at C=3) was determined for a period of 30 min in a universal testing machine where the opposing bonding surfaces were glass and dentin. After the 30 min period, the specimens were loaded in tension to determine the bond strength to dentin. To test the hypothesis, the combinations of the chemical-cured composites with the four bonding systems were also light irradiated for 40s right at the start of curing.

Results: For all composite-adhesive combinations tested, the adhesion to dentin resisted the developing polymerization contraction stresses. Both, dentin as a substrate to bond at and the use of adhesives, were showed to play an important role in keeping the contraction stresses low. The chemical-cured composite (Clearfil Core) combined with the light-cured adhesive SE Bond (pH=1.8) showed for both contraction stress and bond strength significant lower values than the other combinations. The hypothesis was accepted for combinations of the chemical-cured composite with All-Bond 2 and One-Step Bond, but was not supported by combinations with Clearfil SE Bond or Clearfil Photo Bond, as a significant increase in contraction stress was found. The higher values found for bond strength were not significant.

Significance: Besides combinations of chemical-cured core build-up composites with light or dual-cured adhesives as recommended by the manufacturer, also combinations with adhesives of other manufacturers are compatible, provided that the pH is higher than approximately 4.3. Chemical-cured core build-up composites combined with light-cured adhesives with a pH as low as 1.8 lead to a significantly lower stress and bond strength compared to other combinations. Light irradiation during curing through a combination of a chemical-cured composite and a low pH adhesive reactivates polymerization.