Effect of Sodium Ascorbate, Grape Seed Extract, and Aloe Vera Application after In-Office Bleaching on the Bond Strength of Enamel: A 3-Year Evaluation

INTRODUCTION: Dental bleaching is the first choice to improve smile esthetics, but, in some cases, it needs to be associated with resin composite restoration to obtain a satisfactory result. Unfortunately, the bonding of resin-based materials can be impaired due to residual oxygen molecules, which can decrease the durability of the restoration. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of the antioxidant application on the bond strength of bleached enamel after 24 hr and 3 years of water storage. METHODS: In total, 84 bovine teeth were used in this study. Of these, 77 were bleached with 35% hydrogen peroxide in a single session for three cycles of 15 min. Then, the specimens were divided into groups (n = 7 each): control (without bleaching), without antioxidant (WA) use; application of 10% sodium ascorbate (SA) gel, grape seed (GS) extract, and aloe vera (AV). The restorative procedure was performed immediately after bleaching, 7 and 14 days after bleaching. Specimens were sectioned and evaluated using microtensile bond strength (μTBS). Half of the resin-enamel sticks were tested after 24 hr, and the remaining half after 3 years of water storage. µTBS data were analyzed using a three-way analysis of variance, Tukey's test, and Dunnett's test. RESULTS: The lowest µTBS values were observed when the restoration was performed immediately after bleaching in the AV, GS, and WA groups when compared with the SA group (p < 0.005). However, no significant differences were observed among all groups after 3 years of water storage (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SA at 10% was the most effective antioxidant agent for improving the immediate bond strength. However, independent of the antioxidant agent used, the bond strength values were maintained or recovered after 3 years of water storage. SA at 10% could be used to avoid delayed bonding procedures after in-office whitening without compromising bond strength over time. Clinical Significance. The use of antioxidants after dental bleaching can be effective in improving the bonding durability of the adhesive restorations.