Evaluation of degree of conversion, microtensile bond strength and mechanical properties of three etch-and-rinse dental adhesives

This study evaluated microtensile bond strength (mu TBS), degree of conversion, modulus of elasticity and ultramicrohardness of three etch-and-rinse adhesives systems. The materials evaluated were: Ambar (FGM), Optibond (Kerr) and Magic Bond (Vigodent). The degree of conversion was analyzed by FTIR/ATR. To evaluate bond strength (mu TBS) in dentin, 15 teeth (n = 5) were restored and sliced to obtain the specimens (0.8mm(2)). The dynamic ultra microhardness tester was used to evaluate the hardness and modulus of elasticity. The Magic Bond adhesive system showed lower mu TBS than Ambar and Optibond (p < 0.001). For degree of conversion, comparisons between groups of adhesive systems evaluated showed statistically significant difference (p < 0.001), with higher values for Ambar and Optibond when compared a Magic Bond. For modulus of elasticity and ultramicrohardness, Ambar and Magic Bond showed lower values than Optibond. The best results in all properties evaluated were obtained by the Optibond adhesive system.