Comparative evaluation of bonding performance between universal and self-etch adhesives:

Objective: This work aimed to assess the bonding performance of universal adhesive and self-etch adhesives, and a comparative study was conducted using the same acid etching mode. Methods: The selective acid-etching mode was used to simulate bonded restorations to teeth defects of isolated human molars including enamel and dentin. Microtensile bond strength and microleakage of all adhesives were tested and compared after 24 h and 5000 thermocycles, respectively. The morphology of the adhesive interfaces was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fluorescent staining. Results: The bond strength and microleakage of Single Bond Universal (SBU) adhesive are comparable to those of self-etch adhesives, although Clearfil Tri-S Bond (S3) exhibited significantly lower bond strength compared to other two self-etch groups evaluated. No significant differences were found in the microleakage resistance of these four adhesives, suggesting their similar effectiveness in sealing the margins of the restorations, although SBU showed the highest resistance of microleakage. The SEM and fluorescent staining results of the resin-dentin interfaces further revealed the formation of abundant resin tags for all adhesives. Conclusions: Self-etch adhesives evaluated in this study performed similarly to universal adhesives in selective acid-etch mode for bond strength and microleakage resistance. Both types of adhesives exhibited effective penetration capabilities into the dentinal tubules. Clinical significance: During the adhesion processes involving both dentin and enamel, self-etch adhesives can serve as alternatives to universal adhesives in selective acid-etch mode.