Ethanol-wet bonding may improve root dentine bonding performance of hydrophobic adhesive

Objectives rrent study aimed to assess ethanol-wet dentine surfaces by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and to evaluate the efficacy of ethanol-wet bonding on root dentine by determining the shear bond strength (SBS) and interfacial nanoleakage expression. s entine slices from human premolar roots were randomly grouped into five. All specimens were acid-etched, rinsed, and left moist. They were then treated with 100% ethanol for 0 s (control group), 20 s (Group 1), 60 s (Group 2), three 60 s periods (Group 3), or stepwise ethanol application (Group 4). After treatment, each group was bonded either with Adper™ Scotchbond™ Multi-Purpose (Scotchbond) or experimental hydrophobic adhesive. Nano-scale adhesion forces (Fad) were probed by AFM and analysed using one-way ANOVA. The SBS results were analysed using two-way ANOVA. Tukeyʹs test was employed for multiple comparisons. s l-wet protocols significantly decreased the value of Fad (p < 0.001). When bonded with Scotchbond, ethanol treatment did not affect the bond strength (p > 0.05), but decreased the interfacial nanoleakage. The SBS values of the groups bonded with hydrophobic adhesive varied with different ethanol-wet protocols (p < 0.05). Decreased nanoleakage was manifested in all experimental groups, except Group 1. Compared with the classical water-wet bonding with Scotchbond in the control group, Group 4 bonded with hydrophobic adhesive exhibited a significantly higher bond strength (p < 0.05). sions l-wet bonding using a stepwise ethanol application protocol may have potential benefits in the root dentine bonding of hydrophobic adhesive.