INFLUENCE OF LOW TEMPERATURE PLASMA ON THE PROPERTIES OF ERODED AND SOUND DENTIN AND THE BOND STRENGTH OF ADHESIVE SYSTEMS

• Grant number: 24/16034-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Dental Materials
• Principal Investigator: André Luiz Fraga Briso
• Grantee: Vitória Marques Gomes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this research will be to evaluate the effect of the application of argon-based low temperature plasma (LTP), associated or not to oxygen, on the contact angle, on the surface energy and on total free interaction energy of eroded dentin, as well as the bond strength of a bonding adhesive to this type of substrate. Two study factors will be evaluated: application of plasma (without application of LTP; application of argon-based LTP and application of argon plasma + oxygen 2%) and two-level aging (24 h; thermal cycling), and this factor will only apply to bond strength tests. 24 human newly extracted sound molars will be selected, abraded until exposure of the medium-depth dentin tissue is exposed and a smear layer is produced. The teeth will be subjected to an erosion protocol and then subdivided into three groups, according to the dentin treatment: A) dentin submitted to argon-based LTP treatment; B) dentin subjected to LTP + oxygen 2%; C) control group, no treatment with LTP. The teeth will be taken to the goniometer to analyze the contact angle, surface energy and total free interaction energy. Bond strength will be measured by bonding an adhesive system to eroded dentin, from which sticks will be obtained and taken individually to the universal testing machine for evaluation of bond strength using the microtensile test after 24 hours and 20,000 thermal cycles (5 and 55ºC - 30 s). The quality of the adhesive interface will be analyzed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The contact angle, surface energy, total free interaction energy and bond strength data will be subjected to the most appropriate statistical tests to compare the means according to the characteristics and distribution of the data (a = 0.05). (AU)