Effect of Translucency and Curing Mode of Four CAD/CAM Materials on Polymerization Efficiency of Light and Dual Cure Resin Cements.

PURPOSE/AIM: To determine the effect of translucency of four CAD/CAM materials and different curing modes on the degree of conversion of resin cements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Disks were fabricated from IPS e.max CAD, Vita Suprinity, Vita Enamic, and DD Cube X². Translucency was measured using a spectrophotometer. The degree of conversion of two resin cements Variolink Esthetic DC and LC were measured using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. For Esthetic DC, the degree of conversion was determined in self-cure and dual cure modes. ANOVA, Tukey HSD test, and /Linear Regression R2 were used to statistically analyze the data. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the translucency of the four materials (P ⟨ 0.0001). The mean translucency of Vita Suprinity was significantly higher, followed by Vita Enamic, DD Cube X², and IPS E.max CAD. Degree of conversion of resin cements cured under DD Cube X² had the highest values (25.22%), whereas those cured under Vita Suprinity showed the lowest values (17.86%). The self-cure mode had the lowest degree of conversion values (16.22%) and dual cure mode showed the highest values (26.12%). A negative linear relationship was found between degree of conversion and translucency of the CAD/CAM materials.

Fracture Resistance and Marginal Adaptation of Capped and Uncapped Bulk-fill Resin-based Materials.

OBJECTIVES: This study tested the fracture resistance of capped and uncapped bulk-fill composite restorations and compared them to a conventional composite. Also, the effect of different radiant exposure was investigated. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Flowable and high-viscosity bulk-fill composites (SureFil SDR, Filtek Bulk-Fill Posterior, and Tetric N-Ceram Bulk-Fill) and a nanohybrid resin composite (Filtek Z350 XT) were used. Standardized class II cavities were prepared on extracted premolars, and different restoration protocols were used. In protocol 1 (control), restoration was applied using a layering technique; in protocol 2, restoration was applied in bulk with a capping layer; in protocol 3, restoration was applied in bulk without a capping layer; and in protocol 4, restoration was applied in bulk without a capping layer, and the light curing time was extended. After thermocycling, the restorations were examined for marginal gaps and then subjected to the fracture resistance test using a universal testing machine. Statistical analysis was carried out using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by one-way ANOVA at a significance level of α = 0.05. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference in the fracture resistance of the tested materials and protocols was detected. Filtek Bulk-Fill Posterior achieved the highest fracture resistance values regardless of the protocol used, and its results were comparable to those of Filtek Z350. SDR and Tetric N-Ceram Bulk-Fill achieved their highest strengths when a capping layer was added. Tetric N-Ceram Bulk-Fill showed improvement in fracture resistance with extended light curing, while SDR and Tetric N-Ceram Bulk-Fill achieved similar results with the addition of a capping layer. The uncapped bulk-fill group showed more gap-free margins than the capped group. CONCLUSION: The new high-viscosity bulk-fill composite restorations seem to have adequate fracture resistance. However, the results are material dependent, and some materials perform better with a capping layer and extended light curing.

Incremental layer shear bond strength of low-shrinkage resin composites under different bonding conditions.

The purpose of this study was to determine the incremental shear bond strength of a silorane-based composite (Filtek Silorane) repaired with silorane or a methacrylate-based composite (Filtek Z250) under various aging conditions. Also, the incremental bond strength of the silorane-based composite was compared with that of another low-shrinkage methacrylate-based composite (Aelite LS Posterior) under fresh and aged conditions, with and without the use of an adhesive resin between successive layers. The two brands of low-shrinkage composites were compared with a microhybrid, Filtek Z250, which served as the control. Substrate discs were fabricated and second layers were adhered to them immediately, after two weeks of aging, or after four weeks of aging and with and without an adhesive resin. Shear bond strengths were measured and failure modes were evaluated. The incremental bond strength of silorane to the silorane-based composite was not significantly different from that of the methacrylate-based composite. However, repairing a silorane-based composite with a methacrylate-based composite significantly reduced the bond strength. Aelite showed a lower incremental bond strength than Z250 and silorane, but the use of an adhesive significantly improved the bond strength. The absence of an oxygen-inhibited layer did not affect the bond strength of the consecutive layers of the silorane-based composite.

Contrast ratio and masking ability of three ceramic veneering materials.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Porcelain veneer materials are translucent and are therefore affected by their thickness as well as the color of the underlying substructure, which limits their masking ability and compromises the esthetic result in heavily stained teeth. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the contrast ratio (CR) and masking ability of three different veneering ceramics with two thicknesses by measuring the color differences over white and black backgrounds. Correlations between CR and masking ability of these veneering ceramics were evaluated. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 30 disc-shaped specimens (12 mm diameter × 1.0 mm or 1.5 mm) were fabricated in shade A2 from three types of all-ceramic systems: IPS e.max Press (IPSe; Ivoclar Vivadent, Schaan, Liechtensein), Vita VM7 (VM7; VITA Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany), and Nobel Rondo Press Alumina: Solo (NRPA; Nobel Biocare, Zürich-Flughafen, Switzerland). The CR, defined as the ratio of illuminance (Y) of the test material when placed on the black background (Yb) to the illuminance of the same material when placed over a white background (Yw), was determined (CR=Yb/Yw). The color (CIE L*a*b*) and Y of each specimen were measured over standard white and black tiles using a spectrophotometer (ColorEye 7000 A, Model C6, GretagMacbeth, New Windsor, NY, USA). Masking abilities of the specimens were determined by measuring the color difference (ΔE) over white and black backgrounds. Both CR and ΔE data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). One-way ANOVA was used to compare the mean values of CR across the three materials followed by the Duncan multiple comparison test. The correlations between CR and ΔE were determined by comparing R(2) values obtained from a linear regression analysis. A Student t-test for independent samples was used to compare the mean contrast ratio and ΔE values for the two thicknesses. RESULTS: CR values of NRPA were significantly less than those of IPSe and VM7, and the CR of IPSe was higher than that of VM7. Furthermore, CR increased as the thickness of the discs increased to 1.5 mm for all three materials. Mean ΔE values were significantly higher with 1.0-mm-thick discs than with 1.5-mm discs. Among the three materials it was observed that NRPA had the highest ΔE when compared with IPSe or VM7, whereas the ΔE of the latter two were not significantly different from one another. There was a strong linear correlation between CR and masking ability. CONCLUSION: CR and masking ability are affected by the type as well as the thickness of the ceramic used. IPSe and VM7 are similar in their masking abilities, whereas NRPA had the lowest masking ability. NRPA was the most translucent, followed by VM7; IPSe was the most opaque. None of the materials tested was able to completely mask the black background. It is therefore recommended that the type of ceramic should be chosen according to each clinical situation.

Occluding effect of Nd:YAG laser and different dentin desensitizing agents on human dentinal tubules in vitro: a scanning electron microscopy investigation.

OBJECTIVES: This in vitro study aimed to microscopically evaluate and compare the occluding effect of the Nd:YAG laser and different dentin desensitizing agents on human dentinal tubules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Nd:YAG laser (SunLase™ 800) and four commercially available and professionally applied dentin desensitizers (Gluma® desensitizer, Tenure Quick®, Quell™ desensitizer, and VivaSens®) were investigated in this study. Sixty-four extracted intact human molars were used. Each dentin surface was divided by shallow indentation into two halves, one of which was used for treatment and the other of which served as a control. The dentin surfaces were etched to remove any smear plugs and to mimic the open dentinal tubules of sensitive dentin using 0.5 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (pH 7.4) for two minutes (applied with a microbrush) and then rinsed with an air-water syringe for 30 seconds. The laser samples (n=16) were randomly divided into four groups of four samples each. These groups were the step-up technique group, the 14-day group, the one-minute group, and the two-minute group. Forty-eight samples were treated with the four tested desensitizing agents and were randomly divided into four groups (n=12/group). Each group was further subdivided into three subgroups (n=4). Samples of the first subgroup were treated for 14 days, while those of the second subgroup were treated once. Samples of the last subgroup were fractured longitudinally after a single treatment. All of the samples were then examined under a scanning electron microscope. RESULTS: The Nd:YAG laser-irradiated dentin showed reduction or complete obliteration of the dentinal tubule lumen; thus, the treatment modified the original dentinal structure. The lased dentin surface in the two-minute group showed bubble-like changes in the area of the dentinal tubules' orifices. Statistically, the two-minute group was found to have a significantly higher percentage of partially or fully occluded tubules than did the one-minute group. All of the studied desensitizing agents produced occlusion of the dentinal tubules; however, the appearance of the precipitates, the level of coverage, and the degree of dentinal occlusion varied among the tested products. CONCLUSION: Throughout the specified period of this study, occlusion and/or narrowing of the open dentinal tubules have been successfully achieved with both treatment approaches.