Effect of Different Cleansing Protocols on Bond Strength of Composite Resin to Dentin Contaminated with Hemostatic Agent: An In Vitro Study

OBJECTIVES: Inadequate removal of the hemostatic agent can adversely affect the bond strength of restorations to the tooth structure. This study aimed to assess the effect of different cleansing protocols on the shear bond strength (SBS) of an etch-and-rinse adhesive to dentin contaminated with aluminum chloride hemostatic agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, the mid-coronal dentin of 96 premolars was exposed. They were contaminated with a hemostatic agent (ViscoStat Clear) and then randomly divided into 7 groups (n=12). One group served as the control. The groups underwent various cleaning methods as follows: water spray, aluminum oxide particles (27μ diameter), a slurry of pumice with water, GC dentin conditioner (GCDC), sodium hypochlorite 2% (SHC), and chlorhexidine 2% (CHX). Composite cylinders were then fabricated and bonded to the surfaces using Scotchbond Multi-Purpose etch-and-rinse bonding agent. After thermocycling (10,000 cycles), the SBS was measured using a universal testing machine. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey HSD (honestly significant difference) test, and the significance level was set at 0.05. RESULTS: The SBS of the groups was significantly different (P=0.036). The SBS was the highest in the CHX and SHC groups, and the lowest SBS was related to the control group and GCDC groups. The difference between other groups was not significant (P=0.996). CONCLUSION: CHX and SHC yielded the highest bond strength among the tested modalities for cleansing the ViscoStat Clear from the tooth surface.