Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of 3 adhesive systems on the shear bond strength of a fiber-reinforced composite (FRC).
Methods: Sixty bovine permanent mandibular incisors were randomly divided into 3 groups of 20. The FRCs (Ortho, Stick Teck Ltd, Turku, Finland) were bonded to the teeth with 3 adhesive systems (Tetric Flow [Ivoclar-Vivadent, Schaan, Liechtenstein], Transbond XT [Unitek/3M, Monrovia, Calif], and Fuji Ortho LC [GC Europe, Leuven, Belgium]). After bonding, all samples were stored in distilled water at room temperature for 24 hours and subsequently tested for shear bond strength. Analysis of variance and the Sheffé post-hoc tests were used at a significance level of P < .05.
Results: ANOVA indicated significant differences among the various groups. Fibers bonded with Transbond XT showed significantly higher shear bond strengths than the other 2 groups. No significant differences in shear bond strength values were reported between Tetric Flow and Fuji Ortho LC. No significant differences in debond locations (ARI scores) were found among the various groups.
Conclusions: For maximum bond strength, use Transbond XT for direct bonding of FRC.