Micro-tensile bond strength between a resin cement and an aluminous ceramic treated with Nd:YAG laser, Rocatec System, or aluminum oxide sandblasting.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different surface treatments on bond strength between In-Ceram Alumina (VITA) and Panavia Fluoro Cement (Kuraray), and to verify the association between bond strength values and the percentage of remaining cement on the ceramic surface.
Background Data: Although several conventional surface treatments have been used on aluminous ceramic, no study investigated the effect of the Nd:YAG laser.
Methods: Nine In-Ceram Alumina blocks (10 x 10 x 6 mm) received three surface treatments: group 1, Al(2)O(3) sandblasting + silane; group 2, Al(2)O(3) sandblasting + Rocatec Plus + silane; and group 3, Al(2)O(3) sandblasting + Nd:YAG Laser + silane. Resin cement was applied and light cured, followed by the application of composite. Blocks were sectioned to obtain sticks with a cross-sectional area of 1.0 mm(2). Microtensile bond strength (microTBS) was recorded in a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Scanning electron microscopy images of the fractured areas were used to calculate the amount of remaining cement on the ceramic substrate.
Results: All treatments yielded statistically different microTBS values (MPa): group 1, 14.38(A); group 2, 20.09(B); and group 3, 23.21(C) (ANOVAand Tukey's test, alpha = 0.05). Pearson's correlation coefficient for microTBS x percentage of remaining cement was r = 0.92 (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: The Nd:YAG laser was the most effective surface treatment, followed by Rocatec and Al(2)O(3) sandblasting. A strong positive association was found between bond strength values and percentage of remaining cement.