Method: E.max pressed ceramic was used to form discs 8mm in diameter and 4mm in thickness (n=40). The ceramic specimens were fabricated in a manner that simulated their clinical application. The ceramic specimens were fabricated using a wax pattern and attaching it to a wax spool, poured into a silicone ring and then transferred to a burnout furnace. The pressed porcelain discs were wet ground to ensure flat parallel surfaces. The pressed ceramic material was divided in two groups (n=20) that were determined by the type of resin cement used; Panavia F 2.0 (Group 1) and RelyX ARC (Group 2). All luted specimens were thermal cycled for 500 cycles between 5ºc and 55ºc with a 30-second dwell time prior to performing the shear bond strength test. The shear bond strength values of the specimens were determined using a universal testing machine at a cross-head speed of 0.5 mm/min., using a knife-edge shearing rod. The nominal bond strengths in Newton were determined by dividing the force at which bond failure occurred by the theoretical bonding area. An unpaired t-test was performed to determine the difference between groups.
Results: The characteristic fracture initiation loads ranged from 44.92 to 204.38 N. Group 2 (RelyX ARC) had the greatest mean observed load to fracture (141.937 N), SD (35.6) which was significantly greater than Group 1 (Panavia F 2.0) (P<.001).
Conclusions: These results suggest that the clinical use of the RelyX ARC with E.max pressed ceramic provides higher bond strength values than when Panavia F 2.0 is used.