An in vitro study of the effect of blood and saliva contamination on the bond strength of self-etch and total-etch adhesive systems to dentine

Objectives: Evaluate and compare the effect of saliva and blood contamination on dentine during the bonding procedure on shear bond strength of self etch and total etch adhesives, and to Compare the difference between the two contaminants in bond strengths. Methods: 38 freshly extracted human mandibular and maxillary molar teeth, intact and caries free. Occlusal surface of the teeth was reduced at 2 mm deep leaving a flat dentinal surface. The teeth’s were mounted on plastic jigs, filled with self-cured acrylic. The samples were randomly divided into 2 main groups (n=19) Group1 (self-etch) and Group2 (total-etch). Each groups were further subdivided based on contamination (n=14) and non-contamination (control) (n=5). Each contaminated group was subdivided into contaminated with blood (n=7) and saliva (n=7). Results: Self-etch group, Non Contaminated group (control) showed the highest mean (±SD) compressive strength (24.4326±1.62734 MPa).The group contaminated with blood showed the least bond strength (6.2573MPa), followed by contamination with saliva (18.6 MPA). In the total-etch group Non contaminated (control)b2 group showed the highest mean (±SD) compressive strength (23.7247±0.81738 MPa). The group contaminated with blood showed the least (3.8380 MPa), followed by the group contaminated with saliva (19.6805 Mpa). Conclusion: In the self etch and total etch group, blood contamination showed the least bond strength followed by saliva contamination which had a slightly better adhesion when compared to blood contamination.