Bond Compatibility of Maxcem Elite With Various Universal Adhesive Systems

Objectives: Maxcem Elite (Kerr) is well-known for its ability to produce excellent bond strength to tooth structure and other dental substrates in self-adhesive mode. In current study, the ability of Maxcem Elite to function as an adhesive resin cement was assessed by testing its shear bond strength to dentin when used in combination with various universal adhesive systems and comparing them to RelyX Ultimate/Scotchbond Universal cementation system.
Methods: Dentin substrates were polished with 600 grit SiC paper prior to bonding. Each adhesive was applied to dentin per its Instructions for Use and was then either light-cured (1^st group) or not light-cured (2^nd group). A bonding jig (Ultradent) with a cylindrical mold (D=2.38mm) was securely placed on adhesive-covered dentin. The cement was condensed into the mold, and self-cured for one hour at 37°C (~90% humidity). The bonded specimens (n=6) were then stored in deionized water at 37°C for 24 hours before being subjected to shear force on an Instron mechanical tester following ISO29022:2013. Statistical analysis was performed using One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s method for pair-wise comparison to determine significant differences among groups (p<0.05).
Results: Regardless of whether the adhesive is light-cured or not, Maxcem Elite yielded excellent bond strength to dentin when paired with each of the universal adhesive systems included in this study (see table below) and they are all significantly (p<0.05) higher than that produced by RelyX Ultimate/Scotchbond Universal cementation system. The high shear bond strength achieved by Maxcem Elite can be attributed to its excellent bond compatibility with various universal adhesive systems.
Conclusions: Excellent bond compatibility was observed for Maxcem Elite with all universal adhesive systems included in this study, suggesting that Maxcem Elite is truly a universal resin cement that can be used as a self-adhesive resin cement as well as an adhesive resin cement in combination with an adhesive.