Surfactants as part of a combined etchant and activator solution prior to the use of an anaerobic adhesive

Objectives. The objectives of this experiment were to determine whether the incorporation of a surfactant into a combined etchant and activator solution would further promote the polymerization of an anaerobic adhesive. Method. Stainless steel attachments were bonded to human enamel using an anaerobic adhesive. In each case the enamel was etched and activated using a solution of 37% o-phosphoric acid containing copper (II) sulphates or chlorides with one of three surfactants also within the solution. After bench curing, the specimens were shear bond tested to failure and the load at debond recorded in each case. Results. The results were analysed using Kaplan–Meier survival probabilities and log-rank tests along with a multiple comparison test, using Bonferroniʹs method. Conclusions. Under the conditions of this experiment the addition of a surfactant to a combined etchant activator solution of 37% o-phosphoric acid and either copper (II) sulphate or copper (II) chloride, prior to the use of an anaerobic adhesive can have a significant effect on measured force to debond. However, with copper (II) sulphate the highest force to debond was observed with the control solution without a surfactant. With copper (II) chloride the surfactant Tween 20 increased the observed force to debond but the effect was not statistically significant. Significance. Although it is possible to render the enamel surface both retentive and active towards anaerobic adhesives using a combined etchant and activator solution, the addition of a surfactant has little or no beneficial effect.