The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of sodium ascorbate on microtensile bond strengths of total-etching adhesive system to pulp chamber dentin treated with NaOCl.

Pulp chambers of extracted human non-caries permanent molars were treated as follows: group 1, with 0.9% NaCl; group 2, with 5.25% NaOCl; group 3, with 5.25% NaOCl and 10% sodium ascorbate for 1min; group 4, with 5.25% NaOCl and 10% sodium ascorbate for 1 min and 10ml of water; group 5, with 5.25% NaOCl and 10% sodium ascorbate for 5 min; group 6, with 5.25% NaOCl and 10% sodium ascorbate for 5 min and 10ml of water; group 7, with 5.25% NaOCl and 10% sodium ascorbate for 10 min; group 8, with 5.25% NaOCl and 10% sodium ascorbate for 10 min and 10ml of water. Treated specimens were dried, bonded with a total-etching adhesive system (Single bond), restored with a composite resin(Z250) and kept for 24h at 100% humidity to measure the microtensile bond strength.

NaOCl-treated group (group 2) demonstrated significantly lower strength than the other groups. No significant difference in microtensile bond strengths was found between NaCl-treated group (group 1) and sodium ascorbate-treated groups (group 3-8). The results of this study indicated that dentin treated with NaOCl reduced the microtensile bond strength of Single bond. Application of 10% sodium ascorbate restored the bond strength of Single bond on NaOCl-treated dentin. Application time of sodium ascorbate did not have a significant effect.