Porcelain veneers as an alternative for esthetic treatment: clinical report.

This case report describes the restoration of the anterior dentition with porcelain laminate veneers. The advances in bonding of porcelain to tooth structure make this treatment a feasible alternative to restore teeth with alteration in shape and position in cases in which the esthetic demand is high. The rationale for various choices in this treatment protocol is detailed with reference to the pertinent literature. Thus, the clinical success of the technique depends on the correct identification of a case for which this treatment is appropriate and the successful execution of the clinical steps involved.

Selective enamel etching: effect on marginal adaptation of self-etch LED-cured bond systems in aged Class I composite restorations.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of previous enamel etch and light emitting diode (LED) curing on gap formation of self-etch adhesive systems in Class I composite restorations after thermomechanical aging (TMA). Thus, on 192 human molars, a box-shaped Class I cavity was prepared maintaining enamel margins. Self-etch adhesives (Clearfil SE and Clearfil S3) were used to restore the preparation with a microhybrid composite. Before application of the adhesives, half of the teeth were enamel etched for 15 seconds with 37% phosphoric acid; the other half were not etched. For the photoactivation of the adhesives and composite, three light-curing units (LCUs) were used: one polywave (Ultra-Lume LED 5, UL) and two single-peak (FlashLite 1401, FL and Radii-cal, RD) LEDs. After this, epoxy resin replicas of the occlusal surface were made, and the specimens were submitted to TMA. New replicas were made from the aged specimens for marginal adaptation analysis by scanning electron microscopy. Data were submitted to Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon tests (α=0.05). Before TMA, when enamel was etched before the application of S3, no gap formation was observed; however, there were gaps at the interface for the other tested conditions, with a statistical difference (p≤0.05). After TMA, the selective enamel etching previous to the S3 application, regardless of the LCU, promoted higher marginal adaptation compared to the other tested groups (p≤0.05). Prior to TMA, higher marginal integrity was observed, in comparison with specimens after TMA (p≤0.05). With regard to Clearfil SE and Clearfil Tri-S cured with FL, no differences of gap formation were found between before and after aging (5.3 ± 3.8 and 7.4 ± 7.5, respectively), especially when the Clearfil Tri-S was used in the conventional protocol. When cured with RD or UL and not etched, Clearfil Tri-S presented the higher gap formation. In conclusion, additional enamel etching promoted better marginal integrity for Clearfil Tri-S, showing it to be an efficient technique for Class I composite restorations. The two-step self-etch adhesive was not influenced by selective enamel etching or by the LED-curing unit.

Effect of different filling materials in combination with intraradicular posts on the resistance to fracture of weakened roots.

The preservation and restoration of severely weakened pulpless teeth is a difficult and relatively unpredictable procedure. This study evaluated the resistance to fracture of experimentally weakened bovine roots internally reconstructed with different filling materials in combination with prefabricated post compared with restored roots that were relatively intact. The roots of 75 mandibular bovine incisors with similar bulks were selected. Of these, 60 were internally prepared to standardized dimensions, thereby simulating weakness. All roots were filled with different restorative materials. The specimens were submitted to the fracture resistance testing with the application of a tangential compressive loading at an angle of 135 degrees in relation to the long axes of the roots. Results indicated statistically significant differences in relation to the root conditions. Weakened roots were less resistant to fracture than were controls. The roots restored with the resin cement demonstrated the lowest fracture resistance values, but statistically significant differences were observed only when compared with those restored by the resin-modified glass-ionomer cement. Resin-modified glass-ionomer cement, polyacid-modified resin composite and resin composite behaved similarly without statistically significant differences among them. None of the materials evaluated were capable of achieving the fracture resistance recorded for unweakened controls.

Effect of different filling materials in combination with intraradicular posts on the resistance to fracture of weakened roots / Efeito dos diferentes materiais obturados em combinação com pinos intra-radiculares na resistência da fratura de raízes frágeis

The preservation and restoration of severely weakened pulpless teeth is a difficult and relatively unpredictable procedure. This study evaluated the resistance to fracture of experimentally weakened bovine roots internally reconstructed with different filling materials in combination with prefabricated post compared with restored roots that were relatively intact. The roots of 75 mandibular bovine incisors with similar bulks were selected. Of these, 60 were internally prepared to standardized dimensions, thereby simulating weakness. All roots were filled with different restorative materials. The specimens were submitted to the fracture resistance testing with the application of a tangential compressive loading at an angle of 135 in relation to the long axes of the roots. Results indicated statistically significant differences in relation to the root conditions. Weakened roots were less resistant to fracture than were controls. The roots restored with the resin cement demonstrated the lowest fracture resistance values, but statistically significant differences were observed only when compared with those restored by the resin-modified glass-ionomer cement. Resin-modified glass-ionomer cement, polyacid-modified resin composite and resin composite behaved similarly without statistically significant differences among them. None of the materials evaluated were capable of achieving the fracture resistance recorded for unweakened controls

Fracture resistance of teeth restored with the bonded amalgam technique.

This study evaluated the fracture resistance of maxillary premolars with MOD Class II cavity preparations restored with silver amalgam (G1), Scotchbond Multi Purpose Plus and silver amalgam (G2) and Panavia F and silver amalgam (G3). After the restorations were made, the specimens were stored at 37 degrees C for 24 hours at 100% humidity and submitted to the compression test. Statistical analysis of the data (ANOVA and Tukey Test) revealed no significant differences among the three groups that were studied.

How wet should dentin be? Comparison of methods to remove excess water during moist bonding.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the shear bond strength of two adhesive systems when applied on dentin surfaces with different degrees of wetness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two-hundred ten dentin specimens were used. After conditioning with 35% phosphoric acid gel and washing, seven methods of drying dentin were used: 30 s air spray (groups 1 and 2), 5 s air spray (groups 3 and 4), dry cotton pellets (groups 7 and 8), wet cotton pellets (groups 9 and 10), microbrush (groups 11 and 12), absorbent paper (groups 13 and 14). The last group was not dried; the dentin surfaces were left overwet (groups 5 and 6). Prime & Bond 2.1 adhesive was applied on the odd-numbered groups and Scotchbond Multi Purpose on the even-numbered groups. Z100 composite cylinders were bonded to the adhesive and the specimens were subjected to a shear bond test. RESULTS: The Least-Squares Means test was used to compare the following results, where different letters indicate significantly different mean values: Group 9 (G9) = 23.2 MPa (a), G3 = 21.3 MPa (ab), G2 = 19.5 MPa (bc), G10 = 18.6 MPa (bc), G14 = 16.3 MPa (cd), G8 = 16.1 MPa (cd), G4 = 14.6 MPa (de), G13 = 14.0 MPa (de), G11 = 13.9 MPa (de), G7 = 13.5 MPa (de), G12 = 12.1 MPa (e), G1 = 8.2 MPa (f), G5 = 2.7 MPa (g), G6 = 2.4 MPa (g). CONCLUSION: The adhesion values were affected both by the degree of dentin wetness and by the adhesive systems.

Effectiveness of surface protection for resin-modified glass-ionomer materials.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of various surface treatments for resin-modified glass-ionomer restorative materials by determining dye uptake spectrophotometrically. METHOD AND MATERIALS: Two hundred twenty-four specimens, 4.1 mm in diameter and 2.0 mm thick, were made of 3 materials: Vitremer, Fuji II LC, and Photac-Fil Aplicap. Specimens were divided into 15 groups. The positive and negative control specimens remained unprotected, while the experimental specimens were protected with Heliobond light-activated bonding resin, Colorama nail varnish, or surface coatings indicated by the manufacturers of the glass-ionomer materials: Finishing Gloss for Vitremer, Fuji Varnish for Fuji II LC, and Ketac Glaze for Photac-Fil. The disks were immersed in 0.05% methylene blue for 24 hours except for the negative control group, which was immersed in deionized water. After 24 hours, the disks were removed, washed, and individually placed in 1 mL of 65% nitric acid for 24 hours. The solutions were centrifuged and the spectrophotometric absorbance was determined at 606 nm. The dye uptake was expressed in micrograms of dye per milliliter, and the results were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: There were no differences in dye uptake among the 3 resin-modified glass-ionomer restorative materials; however, all of them required surface protection. CONCLUSION: The best surface protection for the 3 evaluated materials was obtained with Heliobond light-activated bonding resin.

Surface finishing of glass ionomer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the surface roughness and staining of a glass ionomer cement when subjected to different finishing procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-four discs of Chem-Fil II glass ionomer cement were submitted to staining test with methylene blue by spectrophotometry and roughness test by profilometry. Four groups were evaluated: Mylar matrix (control). Sof-Lex discs, Enhance points, and diamond bur. RESULTS: Staining and roughness test, analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey's test, showed that the best surface was obtained when the material cured in contact with the Mylar matrix strip or when treated with Sof-Lex discs. The poorest results were obtained after using the diamond bur.

Base deflection and microleakage of composite restorations.

The flexural deflections of human dentin, Herculite XR, Dycal, Vidrion F, zinc phosphate base, and combinations of composite-base were determined. The influence of the flexural deflections in the marginal microleakage was also determined for the composite-base combinations. The flexural deflection test for dentin showed no statistically significant differences between the two floor cavity depths studied. There were significant differences among cements when the thickness of the base was 1 mm whereas no differences occurred at 2 mm. The composite-base combinations did not present statistical differences. There were no statistically significant differences in the microleakage levels among loaded and non-loaded specimens; however, dye penetration was visually greater in loaded samples.