Effects of dentine surface cleaning on bonding of a self-etch adhesive to root canal sealer-contaminated dentine

To compare the effectiveness of different sealer cleaning methods on bonding of a self-etch adhesive to root canal sealer-contaminated dentine. Forty-nine extracted molars were divided into seven groups. Dentine surfaces were exposed and cotaminated with a thin layer of epoxy resin-based sealer (AH Plus (AHP)) or zinc oxide eugenol-based sealer (Pulp Canal Sealer (PCS)). Three cleaning protocols were examined: dry cotton pellet, 70% ethanol-saturated cotton pellet or a surfactant-based cleaner (KatanaTM Cleaner (KC), Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc.). Uncontaminated dentine served as control. The dentine surfaces were bonded with a two-step self-etch adhesive and restored with resin composite. Bond strength testing was performed using a microtensile approach. Two teeth from each group were used for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The pulpal floor of the teeth was covered with sealer and cleaned. The percentage of zinc/zirconium on the dentine surface was detected to indicate the amount of remnant sealer. Tensile bond strength for uncontaminated dentine control was 46.4±7.3 MPa; bond strength decreased significantly for the dry cotton group (29.6±4.2 MPa for AHP, 24.7±4.7 MPa for PCS, p