Evaluation of shear bond strength and interfacial micromorphology of direct restorations in primary and permanent teeth--an in vitro study.

This in vitro study sought to evaluate the bond strength and interfacial morphology of composite restorations in primary and permanent teeth that utilized different adhesive systems. In this study, 180 samples (n = 15 per subgroup) were submitted to shear bond strength tests while 72 samples were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (n = 6 per subgroup). Fifty-four blocks of permanent enamel, 54 blocks of permanent dentin, 54 blocks of primary enamel, and 54 blocks of primary dentin were randomly assigned to three groups for bonding. All of the blocks received a resin composite restoration made with a matrix after the application of the dental bonding systems, according to the manufacturer's instructions. The shear bond strength test found no statistical differences among the tissues or the adhesive systems used. However, a difference in quality of the interfacial seal was observed when Single Bond restorations were compared to restorations bonded with AdheSE and Prompt-L-Pop. The Single Bond system formed an authentic hybrid layer that can ensure adequate adhesion. The other adhesive systems showed an interface with inadequate sealing and even with no sealing. The self-etching systems must be used with caution in composite restorations because the quality of the hybrid layer formed is as important as the bond strength when determining the efficacy of the adhesive.