Evaluation of bond strength between leucite-based and lithium disilicate-based ceramics to dentin after cementation with conventional and self-adhesive resin agents.

The aim of this study was to compare the microtensile bond strength of two heat-pressed ceramics (leucite-based--IPS Empress Esthetic/Ivoclar Vivadent, and lithium disilicate-based --IPS e.max Press/Ivoclar Vivadent) to dentin with the use of conventional and self-adhesive resin cements. The occlusal surface of 60 intact human molars was removed and the dentin was exposed. Ceramic blocks were cemented randomly with regard to the cementation systems (n = 10): conventional dual resin cement (Variolink II/Ivoclar Vivadent), conventional self-polymerizing resin cement (Multilink/Ivoclar Vivadent), and dual self-adhesive resin cement (RelyX U100/3M ESPE). The dual cementation systems were photoactivated with a LED light device (Radii Cal, SDI) for 40 seconds. The specimens were sectioned to obtain sticks of approximately 1 mm2 for microtensile tests on a universal testing machine (EMIC). The type of fracture was analyzed under a scanning electron microscope. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey test (alpha = 0.05) showed that there was no difference between types of ceramic. Average microtensile bond strength was higher for the conventional dual resin cement (Variolink II) and the self-adhesive dual resin cement (RelyX U100), despite greater prevalence of premature loss of the sticks with the latter. Average bond strength was lower when the conventional self-polymerizing resin cement (Multilink) was used. Leucite-based and lithium disilicate-based cements present similar bond strength to the dentin with conventional dual resin cement (Variolink II) and a dual self-adhesive cement (RelyX U100).