Aim: The aim of this in vitro study is to evaluate the effects of three different caries removal techniques on the microtensile bond strength of adhesive materials to caries-affected dentin.
Materials and methods: Thirty primary molar teeth were used. The teeth were randomly divided into three groups according to the caries removal technique employed: conventional steel bur (group 1); Er:YAG laser (group 2); chemomechanical method (group 3). Each group was divided into two subgroups according to bonding agents: one-step self-etch adhesive and etch-and-rinse adhesive. The teeth were restored with composite resin. Vertical sticks were obtained and subjected to tensile stress. Data were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey's test and an independent samples t-test.
Results: The values for the laser groups were significantly lower than those of the bur groups for both bonding agents (p<0.05). There were no significant differences between the bur and chemomechanical groups (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: Bur and chemomechanical techniques in primary teeth were found more successful. Similar results were found according to the adhesives used for each caries removal techniques.