Influence of power density and primer application on polymerization of dual-cured resin cements monitored by ultrasonic measurement.

We used ultrasonic measurements to monitor the influence of power density and primer application on the polymerization reaction of dual-cured resin cements. The ultrasonic equipment comprised a pulser-receiver, transducers, and an oscilloscope. Resin cements were mixed and inserted into a transparent mould, and specimens were placed on the sample stage, onto which the primer, if used, was also applied. Power densities of 0 (no irradiation), 200, or 600 mW cm(-2) were used for curing. The transit time through the cement disk was divided by the specimen thickness to obtain the longitudinal sound velocity. When resin cements were light-irradiated, each curve displayed an initial plateau of approximately 1,500 m s(-1), which rapidly increased to a second plateau of 2,300-2,900 m s(-1). The rate of sound velocity increase was retarded when the cements were light-irradiated at lower power densities, and increased when the primer was applied. The polymerization behaviour of dual-cured resin cements was therefore shown to be affected by the power density of the curing unit and the application of self-etching primer.

Influence of power density on the setting behaviour of light-cured glass-ionomer cements monitored by ultrasound measurements.

OBJECTIVES: To monitor the influence of the power density of the curing unit on the setting behaviour of light-cured glass-ionomer cements (LCGICs) using ultrasound measurements. METHODS: The ultrasound equipment comprised a pulser-receiver, transducers and an oscilloscope. The LCGICs used were Fuji II LC, Fuji II LC EM and Fuji Filling LC. The cements were mixed according to the manufacturer's instructions and then inserted into a transparent mould. The specimens were placed on the sample stage and cured with power densities of 0 (no irradiation), 200 or 600 mW/cm(2). The transit time through the cement disk was divided by the specimen thickness and then the longitudinal ultrasound velocity (V) within the material was obtained. Analysis of variance and Tukey's Honestly Significantly Different test were used to compare the V values between the set cements. RESULTS: When the LCGICs were light-irradiated, each curve displayed an initial plateau at approximately 1500 m/s and then rapidly increased to a second plateau at approximately 2600 m/s. The rate of increase of V was retarded when the cements were light-irradiated with a power density of 200 mW/cm(2) than with a power density of 600 mW/cm(2). Although sonic echoes were detected from the beginning of the measurements, the rates of increase of the sonic velocity were relatively slow when the cement was not light-irradiated. CONCLUSIONS: The ultrasound device monitored the setting processes of LCGICs accurately based on the longitudinal V. The polymerization behaviour of LCGICs was shown to be affected by the power density of the curing unit.

Ultrasonic monitoring of the setting of glass-ionomer luting cements.

This study used ultrasonic measurements to monitor the setting behaviour, and changes in the elastic modulus, of glass-ionomer cements. The ultrasonic equipment comprised a pulser-receiver, transducers, and an oscilloscope. The two-way transit time through the mixing cement disk was divided by two, in order to account for the down-and-back travel path, and then multiplied by the sonic velocity within the material. The sonic velocities of the longitudinal and shear waves were used to determine the elastic modulus. In the earliest stages of the setting process, most of the ultrasound energy was absorbed by the cements and the second echoes were relatively weak. As the cements hardened, the sound velocities increased until they reached a plateau. The changes in sound velocities differed among the glass-ionomer cements tested. The mean elastic moduli of the specimens ranged from 2.6 to 6.2 GPa after 15 min, from 13.4 to 20.4 GPa after 24 h, and from 11.4 to 22.4 GPa after 1 month. The ultrasonic method used in this study has considerable potential for determining the setting processes of luting cements.

Microtensile bond strengths of single-step self-etch adhesive systems to bovine dentin.

The purpose of this study was to examine the microtensile bond strength of a single-step self-etch adhesive system (Clearfil tri-S Bond and One-Up Bond F Plus) to bovine dentin. Adhesive was applied to a flat dentin surface, and resin composite was bonded according to the manufacturers' instructions. After 24 h storage in distilled water at 37 degrees C, hourglass-shaped specimens were produced. These were subjected to microtensile bond strength testing at a cross-head speed of 1.0 mm/min. The results were analyzed using Student's t-test at a significance level of 0.05. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) observations of the fractured specimens and the adhesive-treated dentin surfaces were also conducted. The bond strength of Clearfil tri-S Bond was not significantly different from that of One-Up Bond F Plus, 41.1 +/- 10.1 versus 42.3 +/- 6.0 MPa. Mode of failure analysis for Clearfil tri-S Bond revealed an equal distribution between the three types of failure, and the predominant mode of failure was adhesive for One-Up Bond F Plus. FE-SEM observations of dentin to which adhesive had been applied revealed that the smear layer had been removed and the collagen fibers exposed.

Influence of irradiation time on volumetric shrinkage and flexural properties of flowable resins.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of irradiation time on volumetric change and flexural properties of flowable resins. Four commercially available flowable resins were employed. For volumetric shrinkage measurement, resin pastes were inserted into a mold (2 mm in height, 4 mm in diameter) and put into a water-filled dilatometer. This was followed by light irradiation for 10, 20, or 30 seconds at 600 mW/cm2. Volumetric shrinkage of the specimens was then determined from the change in the height of water meniscus, and the percentage volumetric change thereof was calculated. For flexural strength measurement, resin pastes were filled into a stainless steel mold (25 x 2 x 2 mm), and the middle one-third of the specimen was first irradiated. The remaining two-thirds were irradiated under the same irradiation conditions as volumetric shrinkage measurement. After 24-hour storage in 37 degrees C water, three-point flexural tests were performed with a span length of 20 mm at a crosshead speed of 1.0 mm/min. One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's HSD test were used for statistical analysis. For all materials tested except Estelite Flow Quick, both volumetric shrinkage and flexural strength increased with longer light irradiation time. Results of this study indicated that both volumetric shrinkage and flexural properties were influenced by light irradiation time and resin composite type.