Abstract
BACKGROUND: Post-cementation sensitivity remains a common clinical concern in fixed partial dentures (FPDs), with variations in adhesive resin cement formulations influencing patient discomfort and long-term success. This study aimed to compare post-cementation sensitivity in FPDs cemented with three different resin cements: self-adhesive resin cements, resin cement with a self-etch adhesive, and resin cement with an etch-and-rinse adhesive. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 27 patients demanding the replacement of one missing posterior tooth with a FPD were selected for the study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups based on the type of cement used. The abutments, which were caries- and restoration-free, were prepared using standard techniques. In total, 68 abutment teeth were prepared across all patients, of which 65 were vital abutments. The FPDs were cemented using one of the following cements: Multilink Speed (MUS) (self-adhesive resin cement), Rely-X Unicem (RXU) (self-adhesive resin cement), Rely-X Ultimate & Single Bond Universal (RXUS) (self-etch adhesive mode), and Rely-X Ultimate & Single Bond Universal (RXUE) (etch-and-rinse mode). Sensitivity to cold water, air and biting was assessed pre-operatively as a control and post-operatively at 24 hours, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Sensitivity to cold decreased significantly for most cements within 2 to 6 weeks, although VAS scores for RXUE remained above the 30% level. RXUE also exhibited significantly higher sensitivity to biting compared to Multilink Speed (MUS), Rely-X Unicem (RXU), and Rely-X Ultimate in self-etch mode (RXUS). MUS showed no biting sensitivity, while RXU and RXUS displayed mean values below 5% at the 2-week mark. CONCLUSIONS: The use of self-adhesive resin cements (MUS and RXU) and the resin cement with self-etch adhesive (RXUS) resulted in significantly lower post-operative sensitivity compared to the resin cement with etch-and-rinse adhesive (RXUE) in FPDs. Clinical Application: When cementing FPDs, particularly in cases involving freshly cut dentin, it is advisable to use self-adhesive cements or resin cements with self-etch adhesive. Key words:Post-cementation sensitivity, self-adhesive, etch-and-rinse, self-etch, resin cement.