Bonding of dual-cured resin cement to zirconia ceramic using phosphate acid ester monomer and zirconate coupler

This study evaluated the shear bond strength between dual-cured resin luting cement and pure zirconium (99.9%) and industrially manufactured yttrium-oxide-partially-stabilized zirconia ceramic, and the effect of MDP (10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate) primer (MP) and zirconate coupler (ZC) on bond strength. Two different-shaped pure zirconium and zirconia ceramic specimens were untreated or treated with various primers, including different concentrations of MP containing phosphoric acid ester monomer (MDP) in ethanol, ZC containing a zirconate coupling agent in ethanol, or a mixture of MP and ZC. The specimens were then cemented together with dual-cured resin luting cement (Clapearl DC). Half of the specimens were stored in water at 37 degrees C for 24 h and the other half were thermocycled 10,000 times before shear bond strength testing. The bond strengths of resin luting cement to both the zirconium and zirconia ceramic were enhanced by the application of most MPs, ZCs, and the mixtures of MP and ZC. For the group (MP2.0+ZC1.0) containing 2.0 wt % MP and 1.0 wt % ZC, no significant difference was observed between in shear bond strength before and after thermal cycling for both zirconium and zirconia ceramic (p > 0.05). For the other primers, statistically significant differences in shear bond strength before and after thermal cycling were observed (p < 0.05). The application of the mixture of MP and ZC (MP2.0+ZC1.0) was effective for bonding between zirconia ceramic and dual-cured resin luting cement. This primer may be clinically useful as an adhesive primer for zirconia ceramic restoration.