RESUMO
Aim: This study assessed the effect of thermal aging on the interfacial strength of resin cements to surface-treated PEEK. Methods: Ninety-six PEEK blocks were allocated into 4 groups (n=24), according to following surface treatments: SB - sandblasting with aluminum oxide; SA - acid etched with 98% sulfuric acid; CA coupling agent (Visio.link, Bredent) and CO - control group (untreated). Surface roughness (Ra) was measured and one cylinder (1-mm diameter and height) of Rely-X Ultimate - ULT (3M/ESPE) and another one of Panavia V5 - PAN (Kuraray) were constructed on the treated or untreated PEEK surfaces. Half of the samples of each group were thermal aged (1,000 cycles). Samples were tested at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min in shear mode (µSBS). Ra and µSBS data were compared using one- and three-way ANOVA, respectively, and Tukey's tests. Results: SA and SB samples had the roughest surfaces, while CA the smoother (p<0.001). Thermal aging reduced µSBS regardless the surface treatment and resin cement used. There was interaction between surface treatment and resin cement (p <0.001), with ULT showing higher µSBS values than PAN. SA provided higher µSBS than SB for both resin cements, while for CA µSBS was higher (PAN) or lower than SB (ULT). Conclusion: Aging inadvertently reduces interfacial strength between PEEK and the resin cements. If ULT is the resin cement of choice, reliable interfacial strength is reached after any PEEK surface treatment. However, if PAN is going to be used only SA and CA are recommended as PEEK treatment