Bond strength and morphology of resin materials applied to the occlusal surface of primary molars

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2012; 22: 435–441 Background. Hydrophilic adhesives may be used as pit and fissure sealants (sealants), but there is concern about the ability of self‐etching adhesives to bond sealants to enamel. Aim. To study the bond strength (BS) and morphology of adhesive systems used as sealants. Design. OptiBond FL, OptiBond All‐in‐One, combined OptiBond All‐in‐One + OptiBond FL adhesive, and Fluroshield were applied to the occlusal surfaces of 16 primary molars (n = 4). Teeth were stored in distilled water (24 h at 37°C) and sectioned through the interface to obtain sticks (0.8 mm²) tested under a tensile load (0.5 mm/min). Failure modes were observed. Data were analysed by ANOVA and Tukey’s tests (α = 5%). The morphology of 12 primary molars was examined in terms of the etching pattern and resin reproduction. Results. Differences in the BS were found (P = 0.001), with OptiBond FL showing the highest (36.84 ± 5.7 MPa), Fluroshield (24.26 ± 2.13 MPa) and OptiBond All‐in‐One (17.12 ± 4.97 MPa) similar, and OptiBond All‐in‐One + OptiBond FL adhesive the lowest (9.8 ± 2.94 MPA). OptiBond FL showed the best results in terms of morphology. Conclusion. Under the conditions of this study, OptiBond FL was the best material to be used for sealing.