Clinical performance of a self-etch adhesive in Class V restorations made with and without acid etching

Objectives To evaluate the clinical performance of a self-etching adhesive in Class V carious lesions with and without acid etching procedures. Methods A total of 183 Class V carious cavities with incisal margins in enamel and gingival margins in cementum were selected and restored with Futurabond NR self-etch adhesive and resin composite Grandio. Restorations were made using three different techniques; after etching of the enamel, after etching the whole cavity for 20 s and without acid etching (control). The restorations were evaluated at baseline, 1 and 2 years using USPHS criteria. Results No loss of restorations was recorded after 1 and 2 years for all the three restorative techniques. There was no significant difference between the baseline and 2-year results for any of the tested technique. However, restorations made after acid etching showed less marginal discoloration at the enamel margins. Conclusion The clinical performance of Futurabond NR self-etch adhesive was excellent after 2 years. Acid etching of the enamel margin or the whole cavity did not improve the overall quality of the restorations, but displayed less marginal discoloration.