ABSTRACT
The purpose of this randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the clinical performance of a one-step self-etch adhesive in noncarious cervical lesions with inclusion of a hydrophobic bonding layer not included in the original bonding system as a test of potentially improved bonding. Patients with noncarious cervical lesions received two or four restorations after being randomly assigned to two adhesive technique protocols (n=32): EB, application of Adper Easy Bond (3M ESPE) following manufacturer's instructions; and EB+B, application of Adper Easy Bond, immediately followed by the application of a hydrophobic resin coat (Scotchbond Multi-Purpose Bonding Agent, 3M ESPE). All restorations were restored with a microhybrid composite (Filtek Z250, 3M ESPE). Clinical effectiveness was recorded in terms of retention, marginal discoloration, marginal integrity, postoperative sensitivity, recurrent caries, periodontal health, and pulpal vitality, according to the modified USPHS criteria, for 18 months. Data were analyzed using chi-square, Fisher exact, and McNemar tests at α=0.05. Two restorations of each group were debonded after six months, leading to an overall clinical success rate of 93.8% for both groups. At the 18-month evaluation period, no new restoration was debonded. However, one restoration of the EB group displayed recurrent caries at the dentin margin, decreasing the overall success rate to 90.6% in comparison to 93.8% of EB+B. The success rate between EB and EB+B was not statistically significant (p=0.5). The application of a hydrophobic resin coat over EB did not increase bonding effectiveness in noncarious cervical lesions after 18 months.