The efficacy of different sealer removal protocols on the microtensile bond strength of adhesives to a bioceramic sealer-contaminated dentin

Background: The optimal bonding of adhesives to dentin requires the sealer to be completely removed from the dentinal walls. Aim: This study compared the efficacy of different sealer removal protocols on the microtensile bond strengths (MTBS) of single-step adhesives to a calcium silicate-based bioceramic root canal sealer-contaminated dentin. Materials and Methods: Standardized box-shaped Class I cavities were prepared in human lower third molars (N = 50). All cavities were contaminated with a bioceramic root canal sealer (Endosequence BC Sealer, Brasseler, Savannah, USA), except the control group (G1) cavities. For the experimental groups, contaminated dentin surfaces were wiped with a dry cotton pellet (G2), wiped with a cotton pellet saturated with water (G3), rinsed with the air/water spray (G4), and passively applied aqueous ultrasonic energy with an ultrasonic scaler (G5) before the restoration procedure. All the cavity surface was restored with a one-bottle universal adhesive and composite resin. All the specimens were subjected to both thermocycling (2,500 thermal cycles from 5 to 55°C, with a 30-s dwelling time and a 10-s transfer time) and mechanical loading (50 N load for 100,000 cycles). The restored specimens were sectioned into resin-dentin beams for MTBS evaluation. Additional specimens were prepared for the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine the dentin-adhesive interface (n = 10). Results: No significant difference was found between the mean bond strengths of the groups. In SEM examination, no residual sealer was found in any group. Conclusion: Calcium silicate-based bioceramic sealer was removed from the dentin surface with all removal protocols when evaluated with MTBS after the thermal and mechanical cycle tests.