Resin bonding to Er : YAG laser‐irradiated dentin: combined effects of pre‐treatments with citric acid and glutaraldehyde

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of citric acid and glutaraldehyde (GA) on the resin bonding to Er : YAG laser‐irradiated dentin. Bovine dentin was prepared with 180‐ to 600‐grit SiC paper and then uniformly irradiated with an Er : YAG laser (laser‐irradiated group) or immersed in water at 60°C for 15 min (heated group). The samples were then acid‐conditioned with 10% citric acid (10‐0) or 10% citric acid/3% ferric chloride (10‐3) for 15 s and treated with GA for 10 min before bonding to an acrylic rod with 4‐META/MMA‐TBB resin. These samples were trimmed to prepare miniaturized dumbbell‐shaped specimens. After storage in water at 37°C for 1 d, the tensile bond strength was measured, and the fractured surface was evaluated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In the laser‐irradiated and heated groups, the 10‐3+GA‐treated specimen had higher bond strength than that of 10‐0+GA. On the other hand, the tensile bond strength of 10‐3+GA in the non‐irradiated group was lower that that of 10‐0+GA. In conclusion, the combination of 10‐3 and GA for bonding with 4‐META/MMA‐TBB resin was the most effective for Er : YAG laser‐irradiated dentin and heated dentin, but it was not effective for the non‐irradiated dentin.