Effect of application of naturally occurring anti-oxidant agents on bonding of composite resin to bleached enamel at different time intervals-an in-vitro study.

Demand for esthetic dentistry has increased & with the minimal invasive concepts gaining popularity, vital tooth bleaching is well accepted treatment with predictable outcome. However, bleaching alone fails to enhance esthetics, so additional adhesive procedures like composite restorations, ceramic veneers are often required. There are few disadvantages of teeth bleaching like post-operative sensitivity, pulp irritation, tooth structure alteration, micro leakage and decreased bond strength of composite resin to enamel. To overcome the decreased bond strength, various techniques have been propagated such as, treatment of enamel with alcohol, delaying bonding procedures and use of antioxidants. Sodium ascorbate is an antioxidant that is considered as gold standard. Time of application of ascorbic acid as reported in the literature ranges from 10min to 3 hrs to obtain satisfactory results which is practically difficult to perform. Therefore newer naturally available antioxidants that are more efficient, economical and safer are being investigated as an alternative/ replacement to sodium ascorbate. The aim of the study was to investigate, The effect of immediate application of three anti-oxidant agents on reversal of decreased bond strength of composite resin to bleached enamel at different time intervals. It can be concluded that the use of tomato seed extract and pomegranate seed extract can be used as an alternative to sodium ascorbate prior to bonding procedures on bleached enamel as they completely neutralize the deleterious effects of bleaching and increases the bond strength significantly. The shear bond strength of composite resin to bleached enamel after the surface treatment with ascorbic acid, pomegranate seed extract and tomato seed extract was directly proportional to duration of application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]