Influence of the Nd:YAG laser irradiation on microtensile bond strength of adhesive systems to sound or carious dentin

Objective: To evaluate the microtensile bond strength of 2 adhesive systems (Adper Single Bond Plus [3M ESPE] and Clearfil SE Bond [Kuraray]) to carious or normal dentin, with or without previous treatment with Nd:YAG laser or Nd:YAG laser associated with fluoride. Method and Materials: Dentin surfaces of 60 human third molars were exposed. Teeth were divided into 12 groups; groups 1 to 6 were submitted to pH cycling for artificial caries, and groups 7 to 12 remained with normal dentin. Dentin surfaces received 3 treatments: laser Nd:YAG irradiation (60 mJ, 15 Hz, and 0.9 W) for 1 minute; laser Nd:YAG irradiation associated with fluoride in gel; and no treatment (controls). In experimental groups, adhesive systems were applied in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions, and a composite resin block (Filtek Z250, 3M ESPE) was made incrementally for the microtensile bond strength test. The teeth were sectioned serially in both x and y directions, and sticks were submitted to microtensile bond strength testing in a universal testing machine. Results: According to ANOVA and Tukey (P .05), the highest mean bond strengths were obtained in groups of normal dentin treated with Clearfil SE Bond (40.65 MPa) and Single Bond (34.2 MPa). The presence of carious dentin significantly decreased the mean bond strengths of the 2 adhesive systems whether or not they were previously laser irradiated. Nevertheless, Clearfil SE Bond presented the best microtensile bond strength on an irradiated surface. Moreover, laser irradiation associated with fluoride also decreased the bond strength values of the 2 adhesive systems. Conclusion: After excavating a cavity with caries-affected dentin, the use of Nd:YAG laser followed by a self-etching adhesive system is the best clinical choice when considering bond strength, compared with the total etching- based system and laser. Keywords: caries, dentin, dentin-bonding agents, laser, tensile strength