Durability of resin bonding to zirconia ceramic after contamination and the use of various cleaning methods

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of contamination and different cleaning methods on the tensile bond strength with a phosphate monomer containing luting resin to zirconia ceramic.MethodsAfter the contamination with saliva or silicone disclosing agent, 228 polished and airborne-particle abraded zirconia discs were ultrasonically cleaned with 99% isopropanol. In a second step, the specimens were either treated with argon-oxygen plasma, air plasma, enzymatic cleaning agent or did not undergo an additional cleaning process. Uncontaminated zirconia specimens were used as the control group. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used for chemical analysis of the bonding surfaces of specimens. Plexiglas tubes filled with composite resin were bonded to zirconia specimens with a phosphate monomer containing luting resin. Tensile bond strength (TBS) was tested after 3 days or 150 days water storage with 37,500 thermal cycles.ResultsXPS revealed a decrease of the carbon/oxygen ratio after plasma treatment and an increase after treatment with an enzymatic cleaning agent in all groups. All contaminated specimens showed high and durable TBS after cleaning with a combination of isopropanol and a non-thermal atmospheric plasma. After the cleaning with enzymatic cleaning agent the TBS was significantly reduced in all groups after 150 days thermal cycling.SignificanceThe combination of isopropanol and plasma cleaning was effective in removing salvia and disclosing agent contamination. Enzymatic clearing agent was not able to remove contamination effectively and had a negative impact on the TBS of non-contaminated specimens.