Abstract
The present research was aimed to assess the enclosed mold shear bond strength (EM-SBS) and investigate the effect of different storage conditions on composite cement to titanium (Ti) adhesion using an experimental primer. Twelve planar Ti specimens were prepared, grit-blasted and silica-coated with Rocatec Soft, and randomly assigned to 2 groups i.e., control treated with ESPE Sil while the experimental group was treated 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (1.0% v/v) and bis-1,2-(triethoxysilyl)ethane (0.5% v/v) based primer. Composite cement was used to build resin stubs on each Ti specimen. Ti specimens were subjected to artificial aging: in a desiccator (24 h), water aging for 2 and 4 months (37 degrees C +/- 3 degrees C), immersed in artificial saliva for 2 and 4 months (26 degrees C +/- 3 degrees C), and thermo-cycled for 12,000 cycles. Specimens were characterized for elemental and contact angle analysis. Shear bond adhesion strength was performed using a universal mechanical tester and failure modes were analyzed visually with a light stereomicroscope. The experimental data was handled using SPSS (Version 21, Chicago, IL, USA). The data were analyzed statistically using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA, p = 0.05) followed by Tukey's post hoc analysis. The chemical analysis revealed roughly the same wt-% of [Si] content in both groups. The contact angles were in the range of 16-37 degrees in both control and experimental groups. The experimental group showed statistically higher EM-SBS (10.8 MPa +/- 3.4 MPa) following 12,000 thermo-cycles (p < 0.05). On the effect of aging by distilled water and artificial saliva, the mean EM-SBS of the experimental group was remarkably higher compared to the control. The predominant failure type in control group was adhesive in nature. However, mixed failure mode was observed in most of the media experimental groups. The use of experimental silane primer likely to enhance the hydrophilicity of the Ti surfaces. In addition, a significant increase in the EM-SBS between resin composite cement and silica-coated Ti was observed without being much affected in aging conditions.