SHORT- AND LONG-TERM BOND STRENGTHS OF A GOLD STANDARD TWO-STEP SELF-ETCH ADHESIVE SYSTEM TO DENTIN: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the micro tensile bond strength of a self-etch adhesive system following 1 year storage in water. Materials and Methods: 10 sound human molar teeth were used for micro tensile bond strength test. Twostep self-etch dentin adhesive (Clearfil SE Bond®) was applied to the flat dentin surfaces according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Composite blocks (Z- 250; 3M ESPE) of 5 mm in height have been prepared by using layering technique. Teeth were stored in water for 24 hours at 37°C and longitudinally sectioned to obtain dentin sticks of 1 mm2.Randomly selected samples from half of the teeth were immediately subjected to micro tensile test and. Remaining specimens were tested after 1 year storage in water. Bond strengths were calculated in megapascal (MPa). Results: Means and standard deviations of the Clearfil SE Bond® micro tensile bond strength values were, respectively, 37.31 ± 13.77 MPa and 24.78 ± 2.99 MPa after 24 h and 1 year of storage in water. The difference was statistically significant (p=0.031). Conclusion: Long-term storage in water decreased the micro tensile bond strength values of the twostep self-etch adhesive which has been accepted as the gold standard in bond strength tests.