Curing efficiency of four self-etching, self-adhesive resin cements.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the degree of cure (%DC) of four self-etching, self-adhesive resin cements, and one conventional resin cement, in their self- and dual-curing mode.


METHODS
The self-etching, self-adhesive resin cements studied were RelyX Unicem (3M ESPE AG), Maxcem (Kerr Corporation), Biscem (Bisco, Inc.) and Multilink Sprint (Ivoclar Vivadent AG) and the classic resin cement was Multilink Automix (Ivoclar Vivadent AG). Twelve specimens of each material (1.8 mm x 4 mm x 4 mm) were prepared in room temperature (23+/-1) degrees C following the manufacturers' instructions. Six of them were treated as dual-cured, thus irradiated for 20 s with a halogen light curing unit and left undisturbed for 5 min. The other six were treated as self-cured and were not irradiated, but left in dark and dry conditions for 10 min. The assessment of the %DC was made using micro-ATR FTIR spectrometry.


RESULTS
The %DC in their self-curing mode was very low (10.82-24.93%), with Multilink Sprint exhibiting the highest values among the five. In the dual-curing mode the values obtained were also low (26.40-41.52%), with the exception of Multilink Automix (61.36%). Maxcem was found to have the lowest DC.


CONCLUSIONS
The low %DC found raises questions as to whether these materials can be successfully used in clinical applications, where light attenuation takes place. Increased irradiation times could potentially lead to higher %DC, in applications where light is not completely blocked by the overlying restoration.
Vrochari
Areti D
AD
Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, University School and Dental Hospital, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg i. Br., Germany. aretivrochari@yahoo.gr
Eliades
George
G
Hellwig
Elmar
E
Wrbas
Karl-Thomas
KT
D045662:Dental Etching / Q000379:methods; D006244:Hardness; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods; D019279:Resin Cements; D055116:Self-Curing of Dental Resins; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
D019279:Resin Cements