The effect of different deproteinization agents and thermal cycling on the shear bond strength of fissure sealants: An In Vitro study

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the effect of different surface preparation methods for fissure sealant application on the shear bond strength of fissure sealants, together with thermal cycling in vitro. This study included 60 caries-free third molars without hypomineralization or extraction-related defects on the enamel surfaces. Group 1 (n=6) 37% phosphoric acid, Group 2 (n=6) Hypochlorous acid (15 sec), Group 3 (n=6) Hypochlorous acid (30 sec), Group 4 (n=6) Sodium Hypochlorite (60 sec), Group 5 (n=6) Bromelain (60 sec), Group 6 (n=6) 37% phosphoric acid + Thermal Cycling, Group 7 (n=6) Hypochlorous acid (15 s) + Thermal Cycling, Group 8 (n=6) Hypochlorous acid (30 s) + Thermal Cycling, Group 9 (n=6) Sodium Hypochlorite (60 s) + Thermal Cycling, Group 10 (n=6) Bromelain (60 s) + Thermal Cycling. Then, all group specimens were subjected to a shear bond strength test. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS V23 (SPSS 23.0 Chicago, IL, USA). Significance level was taken as p<0.05. The average shear bond strength values of different surface preparation methods, regardless of the thermal cycle, do not show statistically significant differences (p=0.431). The mean shear bond strength values showed a statistically significant difference according to the thermal cycling status regardless of the group (p=0.022). The mean shear bond strength did not differ according to the surface preparation-thermal cycle interaction (p=0.480). Deproteinization agents increased the shear bond strength of fissure sealants after thermal cycling compared to the control group. Therefore, according to our study's results, we recommend using deproteinizing agents before fissure sealant application. Keywords: Deproteinization, Fissure sealant, Hypochlorous acid, Sodium hypochlorite, Bromelain