The efficacy of Er,Cr:YSGG laser and contemporary universal adhesive systems on composite resin repair bond strength: an in vitro study

The aim of this study is to investigate the repair bond strength of composite resin following three different surface treatments (bur-grinding, silanization, and Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation) using various universal adhesives. A total of 160 resin composite specimens, produced in cylindrical form (6 × 2 mm) with a nanohybrid composite resin within metal molds, were subjected to 5000 cycles of aging in a thermocycler. The aged samples were categorized into four groups based on surface treatments: control, bur, silane, and Er,Cr:YSGG laser. Following surface treatments, the specimens underwent repair using the same resin composite and four different adhesive systems: Tokuyama Universal Bond (TUB), Prime Bond Universal (PBU), Gluma Bond Universal (GBU), and Clearfil SE Bond (CSB). Subsequently, the specimens were subjected to shear forces, and statistical analysis was performed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey tests (p < 0.05). The failure modes were examined using a stereomicroscope, and the surface topography of the roughened resin composite was assessed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results indicated that silane + GBU exhibited the highest shear bond strength (SBS) (15.61 MPa) while control + TUB showed the lowest SBS (7.63 MPa). Silane demonstrated significantly higher SBS values (p ≤ 0.05), with no significant difference observed between bur and laser methods (p = 0.998). It is recommended to include an additional silanization step before applying universal adhesive, as it effectively enhances the bond strength of the repaired composite.