The purpose of this study was to compare the microshear bond strength (uSBS) to enamel prepared with different burs and to determine what type of bur were chosen when a self-etching primer adhesive was used.

Enamel of forty-two human molars were used. They were divided into one of six groups (n = 7), Group 1, coarse (125 - 150 µm) diamond bur; Group 2, standard (106 - 125 µm) diamond bur; Group 3, fine (53 - 63 µm) diamond bur; Group 4, extrafine (20 - 30 µm) diamond bur; Group 5, plain-cut carbide bur (no. 245); Group 6, cross-cut carbide bur (no. 557). Clearfil SE Bond and Clearfil AP-X (Kuraray Medical Inc.) was bonded to enamel surface. The bonded specimens were subjected to uSBS testing.

The uSBS of Group 4 was the highest among groups and it was significantly higher than that of Groups 1, 2, 3, and 6 (p < 0.05), but it was not significantly different from that of Group 5.

Different burs used on enamel surface affected the microshear bond strengths of a self-etching primer adhesive to the enamel surface. In the case of Clearfil SE Bond, extrafine diamond and plain-cut carbide bur are recommended for bonding to enamel.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of glycerin topical application on the surface hardness of composite after curing.

A composite (Z-250, 3M ESPE) was packed into a disc-shaped brass mold and light cured according to one of the following protocols. Group 1 (control) was exposed to air and light cured for 40 sec, group 2 was covered with a Mylar strip and light cured for 40 sec, group 3 was surface coated with glycerin and light cured for 40 sec, and group 4 was exposed to air and light cured for 20 sec and then surface coated with glycerin and cured for additional 20 sec. Twenty specimens were prepared for each group. The surface hardnesses of specimens were measured with or without polishing. Five days later, the surface hardness of each specimen was measured again. Data were analyzed by three-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc tests.

The surface hardnesses of the unpolished specimens immediately after curing decreased in the following order: group 2 > 3 > 4 > 1. For the polished specimens, there was no significant difference among the groups. Within the same group, the hardness measured after five days was increased compared to that immediately after curing, and the polished specimens showed greater hardness than did the unpolished specimens.

The most effective way to increase the surface hardness of composite is polishing after curing. The uses of a Mylar strip or glycerin topical application before curing is recommended.

This study examined the effect of the uncured dentin adhesives on the bond interface between the resin inlay and dentin.

Dentin surface was exposed in 24 extracted human molars and the teeth were assigned to indirect and direct resin restoration group. For indirect resin groups, exposed dentin surfaces were temporized with provisional resin. The provisional restoration was removed after 1 wk and the teeth were divided further into 4 groups which used dentin adhesives (OptiBond FL, Kerr; One-Step, Bisco) with or without light-curing, respectively (Group OB-C, OB-NC, OS-C and OS-NC). Pre-fabricated resin blocks were cemented on the entire surfaces with resin cement. For the direct resin restoration groups, the dentin surfaces were treated with dentin adhesives (Group OB-D and OS-D), followed by restoring composite resin. After 24 hr, the teeth were assigned to microtensile bond strength (µTBS) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), respectively.

The indirect resin restoration groups showed a lower µTBS than the direct resin restoration groups. The µTBS values of the light cured dentin adhesive groups were higher than those of the uncured dentin adhesive groups (p < 0.05). CLSM analysis of the light cured dentin adhesive groups revealed definite and homogenous hybrid layers. However, the uncured dentin adhesive groups showed uncertain or even no hybrid layer.

Light-curing of the dentin adhesive prior to the application of the cementing material in luting a resin inlay to dentin resulted in definite, homogenous hybrid layer formation, which may improve the bond strength.

The purpose of this in vivo study was to investigate the microbial diversity in symptomatic and asymptomatic canals with primary endodontic infections by using GS FLX Titanium pyrosequencing.

Sequencing was performed on 6 teeth (symptomatic, n = 3; asymptomatic, n = 3) with primary endodontic infections. Amplicons from hypervariable region of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene were generated by polymerized chain reaction (PCR), and sequenced by means of the GS FLX Titanium pyrosequencing.

On average, 10,639 and 45,455 16S rRNA sequences for asymptomatic and symptomatic teeth were obtained, respectively. Based on Ribosomal Database Project Classifier analysis, pyrosequencing identified the 141 bacterial genera in 13 phyla. The vast majority of sequences belonged to one of the seven phyla: Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, Proteobacteria, Spirochetes, and Synergistetes. In genus level, Pyramidobacter, Streptococcus, and Leptotrichia constituted about 50% of microbial profile in asymptomatic teeth, whereas Neisseria, Propionibacterium, and Tessaracoccus were frequently found in symptomatic teeth (69%). Grouping the sequences in operational taxonomic units (3%) yielded 450 and 1,997 species level phylotypes in asymptomatic and symptomatic teeth, respectively. The total bacteria counts were significantly higher in symptomatic teeth than that of asymptomatic teeth (p < 0.05).

GS FLX Titanium pyrosequencing could reveal a previously unidentified high bacterial diversity in primary endodontic infections.