Bonding to densely sintered alumina surfaces: effect of sandblasting and silica coating on shear bond strength of luting cements

PURPOSE: An important determinant of the clinical success of ceramic restorations is the bond strength of the luting agent to the seating surface and the prepared tooth structures. Manufacturers of ceramic systems frequently specify both the luting agent and preluting treatment of the seating surface of the crown. Procera AllCeram is an all-ceramic crown comprising a porcelain-veneered coping of densely sintered, high-purity aluminum oxide. This study evaluated the shear bond strength of 4 luting agents: zinc-phosphate, glass-ionomer, resin-modified glass-ionomer, and resin cement (dual cured) to Procera aluminum oxide coping material. The luting agents were subjected to different surface treatments: untreated, sandblasted, or silica coated by the Rocatec system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cylindric and cubic specimens of the coping material were luted together, and the shear force necessary to separate the cylinder from the cube was measured with a universal testing machine. The surfaces of the specimens were also analyzed. RESULTS: No significant differences were recorded for the shear bond strengths of the luting agents to the untreated aluminum oxide. Glass-ionomer and the resin-modified glass-ionomer cements had the highest values (4.2 +/- 2.5 MPa and 4.3 +/- 1.9 MPa, respectively), and the lowest were 3.3 +/- 2.3 MPa for the resin cement and 3.2 +/- 1.0 MPa for the zinc-phosphate cement. Similar results were recorded for the sandblasted aluminum oxide surfaces, except with the glass-ionomer, which was significantly higher (12.9 +/- 2.4 MPa). For all 4 luting agents, the highest shear bond strength values were recorded for the silica-coated specimens; the highest was for the resin cement, at 36.2 +/- 7.8 MPa. CONCLUSION: The bond strengths between resin cement and aluminum oxide specimens treated by the Rocatec system were significantly higher than those of the other materials and surface treatments evaluated.