Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Disinfection of dentin surfaces is desirable so long as it does not interfere with subsequent bonding of adhesive resins. OBJECTIVE: To test the null hypothesis that bond strengths to dentin are not affected by previous application of an iodine disinfecting solution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four extracted non-carious molars were selected. Occlusal enamel was removed producing a flat dentin substrate. Test teeth were all treated with 2% Iodine disclosing/disinfecting solution (I(2)DDS) for 20 sec and rinsed for 20 sec followed by the application of self- or total- etching bonding systems, generating five adhesive groups (n=3): Single Bond; Prime & Bond NT; Clearfil SE Bond; Opti-Bond Plus. The control groups (n=3 per adhesive) had no disclosing/disinfectant application prior to adhesive application. A 4-mm thick resin restoration was built up on each tooth for microtensile testing. Statistical analyses between experimental and control groups were performed by student's t-test (alpha= 0.05). RESULTS: In general, experimental groups (previously treated with I(2)DDS) showed significantly lower bond strength values when compared with their respective controls (p<0.05), except for group Prime & Bond I(2) that did not significantly differ from its control (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Acetone-base adhesive systems seem not to be affected by the application of I(2)DDS prior to etching and bonding procedures.