The effect of different surface treatments on the shear bond strength of luting cements to titanium.

Although titanium presents attractive physical and mechanical properties, there is a need for improving the bond at the titanium/luting cement interface for the longevity of metal ceramic restorations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of surface treatments on the shear bond strength (SBS) of resin-modified glass ionomer and resin cements to commercially pure titanium (CP Ti). Two hundred and forty CP Ti cast disks (9.0 × 3.0 mm) were divided into 8 surface treatment groups (n=30): 1) 50 µm Al(2)O(3) particles; 2) 120 µm Al(2)O(3) particles; 3) 250 µm Al(2)O(3) particles; 4) 50 µm Al(2)O(3) particles + silane (RelyX Ceramic Primer); 5) 120 µm Al(2)O(3) particles + silane; 6) 250 µm Al(2)O(3) particles + silane; 7) 30 µm silica-modified Al(2)O(3) particles (Cojet Sand) + silane; and 8) 120 µm Al(2)O(3) particles, followed by 110 µm silica-modified Al(2)O(3) particles (Rocatec). The luting cements 1) RelyX Luting 2; 2) RelyX ARC; or 3) RelyX U100 were applied to the treated CP Ti surfaces (n=10). Shear bond strength (SBS) was tested after thermal cycling (5000 cycles, 5°C to 55°C). Data were analyzed by 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey HSD post hoc test (α=.05). Failure mode was determined with a stereomicroscope (×20). The surface treatments, cements, and their interaction significantly affected the SBS (P<.001). RelyX Luting 2 and RelyX U100 exhibited similar behavior for all surface treatments. For both cements, only the group abraded with 50 μm Al(2)O(3) particles had lower SBS than the other groups (P<.05). For RelyX ARC, regardless of silane application, abrasion with 50 μm Al(2)O(3) particles resulted in significantly lower SBS than abrasion with 120 μm and 250 μm particles, which exhibited statistically similar SBS values to each other. Rocatec + silane promoted the highest SBS for RelyX ARC. RelyX U100 presented the highest SBS mean values (P<.001). All groups showed a predominance of adhesive failure mode. The adhesive capability of RelyX Luting 2 and RelyX U100 on the SBS was decisive, while for RelyX ARC, mechanical and chemical factors were more influential.