Ultrasonic monitoring of the setting of silicone elastomeric impression materials.

This study used an ultrasonic measurement device to monitor the setting behavior of silicone elastomeric impression materials, and the influence of temperature on setting behavior was determined. The ultrasonic device consisted of a pulser-receiver, transducers, and an oscilloscope. The two-way transit time through the mixing material was divided by two to account for the down-and-back travel path; then it was multiplied by the sonic velocity. Analysis of variance and the Tukey honest significant difference test were used. In the early stages of the setting process, most of the ultrasonic energy was absorbed by the elastomers and the second echoes were relatively weak. As the elastomers hardened, the sonic velocities increased until they plateaued. The changes in sonic velocities varied among the elastomers tested, and were affected by temperature conditions. The ultrasonic method used in this study has considerable potential for determining the setting processes of elastomeric impression materials.

Optical coherence tomography examination of the effect of S-PRG filler extraction solution on the demineralization of bovine enamel.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of PRG filler extraction solution on the demineralization of enamel using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Bovine enamel was treated with lactic acid buffer solution and then placed in artificial saliva (De group). In the second group, specimens were stored in PRG filler extraction solution followed by immersion in lactic acid buffer solution (PRG group). In the control group, specimens were simply stored in artificial saliva. From the OCT image, the peak intensity (dB) and width at (1/e(2)) were obtained, and the integrated value was calculated. The data were analyzed using Tukey-Kramer tests (α=0.05). There was a slight but significant increase in the integrated value observed for the control group, and a slight but significant decrease in the value observed for the De group. For the PRG group, integrated values were doubled after seven days from the start of the experiment.

Influence of surface treatment of glass-ionomers on surface free energy and bond strength of resin composite.

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of surface treatment of glass-ionomer (GIC) on bond strength of resin composite and surface free energies. Specimens were prepared and divided into three groups as follows: without pretreatment (control), phosphoric acid etching, and air-abrasion. Adhesive was applied and resin composite was bonded. For conventional GIC, acid etching or air-abrasion increased bond strength (8.5-8.8 MPa) when compared with controls (4.7 MPa); however, RMGIC resulted in significantly lower bond strengths (10.3-15.8 MPa) than in controls (14.2-20.5 MPa). The value of the γS(-) component increased when conventional GIC was treated with phosphoric acid or air-abrasion (60.1-60.5 mJ•m(-2)) when compared with controls (52.8 mJ•m(-2)).These results indicate that surface treatment of conventional GIC promoted higher bond strength to resin composite and higher Lewis-base components, but decreased bond strength for RMGIC.

Influence of warm air-drying on enamel bond strength and surface free-energy of self-etch adhesives.

We examined the effect of warm air-drying on the enamel bond strengths and the surface free-energy of three single-step self-etch adhesives. Bovine mandibular incisors were mounted in self-curing resin and then wet ground with #600 silicon carbide (SiC) paper. The adhesives were applied according to the instructions of the respective manufacturers and then dried in a stream of normal (23°C) or warm (37°C) air for 5, 10, and 20 s. After visible-light irradiation of the adhesives, resin composites were condensed into a mold and polymerized. Ten samples per test group were stored in distilled water at 37°C for 24 h and then the bond strengths were measured. The surface free-energies were determined by measuring the contact angles of three test liquids placed on the cured adhesives. The enamel bond strengths varied according to the air-drying time and ranged from 15.8 to 19.1 MPa. The trends for the bond strengths were different among the materials. The value of the γS⁺ component increased slightly when drying was performed with a stream of warm air, whereas that of the γS⁻ component decreased significantly. These data suggest that warm air-drying is essential to obtain adequate enamel bond strengths, although increasing the drying time did not significantly influence the bond strength.

Ultrasonic investigation of the effect of S-PRG filler-containing coating material on bovine tooth demineralization.

This study investigated the effect of a coating material containing S-PRG fillers on the demineralization of bovine enamel and dentin, by measuring changes in the transmitted ultrasonic velocity. Bovine enamel and dentin specimens with and without coating (n=6 for each condition) were cut into blocks, immersed in 0.1 M lactic-acid buffer solution (pH 4.75) for 10 min twice daily throughout the test period, and stored in a demineralising artificial saliva solution (pH 7.0) between treatments. The propagation time of longitudinal ultrasonic waves was measured by a pulser-receiver with a transducer. Data were evaluated using ANOVA followed by Tukey's HSD test (α=0.05). The sonic velocity decreased over time for specimens stored in demineralising solution; however, coated specimens had a significantly higher sonic velocity than those without coating. The coating material containing pre-reacted glass-ionomer fillers therefore appeared to reduce the demineralisation of enamel and dentin.