Effects of Multiple Coatings of Two All-in-one Adhesives on Dentin Bonding

Simple changes to bonding technique can improve resin-dentin bond strengths. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of multiple coatings of two all-in-one adhesive resins on both microtensile bond strength (µTBS) and nanoleakage. The mid-coronal occlusal dentin of extracted human molars was used. Two all-in-one adhesives - iBond (Heraeus Kulzer) and Xeno III (Caulk Dentsply) - were applied to 320-grit abraded dentin surfaces. In groups 1 and 3 during bonding, monomer application and solvent evaporation were done 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 times on the dentin surface before light curing. In groups 2 and 4 after light curing the first layer, the adhesive was re-applied, the solvent evaporated, and the layer light cured. This was repeated from 2 to 5 times, followed by creation of composite buildups. After 24 h storage in 37°C water, the teeth were sectioned perpendicular to the adhesive interface to produce multiple beams of composite-bonded dentin, approximately 0.9 mm² in area. These were tested to failure in tension. Data were evaluated by three-way ANOVA (material vs coatings vs light curing) followed by multiple comparisons at α = 0.05. Additionally, nanoleakage of silver uptake and adhesive layer thickness were evaluated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicated that bond strengths increased with the number of coatings (p 0.0001) with both adhesives, up to 3 layers, especially if each layer was light cured. Nanoleakage of silver tended to decrease with each coat in both adhesive systems. By simply applying more coats of adhesive, the strength and quality of dentin adhesion can be improved. Keywords: all-in-one adhesives, dentin bond strength, nanoleakage, multiple coatings