Wetting ability of an acetone/based etch&rinse adhesive after NAOCL-treatment

Objectives: to evaluate the effect of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) treatment on surface dentin roughness (Ra) and contact angle (CA) when using Prime&Bond NT adhesive (PB NT). Study Design: Extracted human third molars were sectioned to expose fat, superficial and deep dentin surfaces. CA and Ra were measured (1) before and (2) after 35% H₃PO₄ etching, and (3) H₃PO₄ etching + 5% NaOCl treated for 2 minutes before the application of PB NT. CA was measured by the Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis Technique using distilled and deionized water and PB NT. Roughness was evaluated with a profilometer, twelve radial measurements were performed in each treatment surface. Data were analyzed with two-way ANOVA and Newman-Keuls multiple comparison test procedures. Results: CA values decreased after acid etching and even more after NaOCl treatment on deep dentin when water was tested. With resin, there were not differences on CA results after H₃PO₄ neither after NaOCl treatment, in both dentin surfaces. Etching and NaOCl treatment resulted in surface roughness increase. Conclusions: In spite of the higher roughness after NaOCl treatment on superficial and deep dentin, the use of 5% NaOCl for 2 min after dentin demineralization when PB NT was employed did not improved the wettability of dentin, probably due to nanofiller content and/or hydrogen-bonding interactions with residues of the organic matrix on collagen-depleted dentin.