An Assessment of the Micro-Tensile Bond Strength of Composites for Indirect Restoration to Enamel and Dentin

This study aimed to evaluate the micro-tensile bond strength (µTBS) of two types of composites for indirect restoration, luted to enamel and dentin with self-adhesive cement. Moreover, it aimed to evaluate the impact of thermocycling on bond strength. Sixteen flat enamel and dentin surfaces of human molars were cemented to equal flat specimens of the laboratory composite Signum ceramis and the CAD/CAM block Cerasmart. Half of the specimens of the group underwent thermocycling. After that, the samples were cut into 80 beams for µTBS analysis. The data were analyzed using Levene’s test and the independent sample t-test. The micro-tensile bond strength tests revealed that thermocycling significantly reduced the adhesive bond. Dentin bonds better to conventional laboratory composites. Enamel bonds are better than composite blocks for milling.