The effect of three silane coupling agents and their blends with a cross-linker silane on bonding a bis-GMA resin to silicatized titanium (a novel silane system)

OBJECTIVES: Three activated organofunctional silane coupling agents alone and blended with a non-functional cross-linker silane were evaluated as adhesion promoters in an experiment where a bis-GMA (bis-phenol-A-diglycidyldimethacrylate) resin was bonded to silicatized titanium. The adhesive performances of the silanes were assessed as shear bond strength values. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 3-Methacryloyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine and [3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl]urea were prepared as 1.0vol.% solutions in 95 vol.% ethanol. They were each also blended with 1.0 vol.% 1,2-bis-(triethoxysilyl)ethane solutions that were activated for 1 or 24 h. Titanium slides were cleaned, silicatized, distributed randomly to study groups and silanized with nine silane solutions. After silanization experimental bis-GMA resin stubs were photo-polymerized and post-polymerized in a light-curing unit. The shear bond strength was measured as 'dry samples' and after thermo-cycling (6000 cycles at 5-55 degrees C). RESULTS: The type of silane affected significantly the shear bond strength (p<0.001) and the use of cross-linker silane (p<0.005) according to the statistical analysis (ANOVA). It showed that the highest shear bond strength for thermo-cycled resin stub samples (n=8/group) was obtained with a blend of 1.0vol.% 3-methacryloyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane+1.0 vol.% 1,2-bis-(triethoxysilyl)ethane blend (10.4+/-3.5 MPa). The lowest results were obtained with 1.0 vol.% [3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl]urea (4.5+/-1.0 MPa), and with 1.0 vol.% N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine (4.5+/-1.4 MPa). CONCLUSIONS: Silanization with a blend of a functional silane and a cross-linker silane (a novel silane system) might improve the hydrolytic stability of a siloxane film between silicatized titanium and a bis-GMA resin.