Micro-tensile bond strength of two adhesives to Erbium:YAG-lased vs. bur-cut enamel and dentin

The purpose of the study was to assess the hypotheses that laser irradiation is equally effective for bonding as traditional acid-etch procedures, and that tooth substrate prepared either by Erbium:YAG laser or diamond bur is equally receptive to adhesive procedures. Buccal/oral enamel and mid-coronal dentin were laser-irradiated using an Erbium:YAG laser. A total-etch adhesive (OptiBond FL) applied with and without prior acid-etching and a self-etch adhesive (Clearfil SE Bond) were employed to bond the composite. The micro-tensile bond strength (muTBS) was determined after 24 h of storage in water. Failure patterns were analysed using a stereo-microscope, and samples were processed for Field-emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (Fe-SEM) evaluation. Unbonded, lased enamel and dentin surfaces were evaluated using Fe-SEM as well. The total-etch adhesive bonded significantly less effectively to lased than to bur-cut enamel/dentin. Laser 'conditioning' was clearly less effective than acid-etching. Moreover, acid etching lased enamel and dentin significantly improved the muTBS of OptiBond FL. The self-etch adhesive performed equally to lased as to bur-cut enamel, but significantly less effectively to lased than to bur-cut dentin. It is concluded that cavities prepared by laser appear less receptive to adhesive procedures than conventional bur-cut cavities.