Surface and mechanical properties of adhesives with calcium phosphates challenged to different storage media.

Aim: To evaluate the behavior of experimental dental adhesives with hydroxyapatite (HAp), alpha-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) or octacalcium phosphate (OCP) after storing them in three different media: dry storage, distilled water, or lactic acid. Methods: An experimental adhesive resin was formulated with bisphenol A glycol dimethacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and photoiniciator/co-initiator system. HAp (G_HAp), α-TCP (G_α-TCP), or OCP (G_OCP) were added to the adhesive resin at 2 wt.%, and one group remained without calcium phosphates to be used as a control (G_Ctrl). The adhesives were evaluated for surface roughness, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) after storing in distilled water (pH=5.8), lactic acid (pH=4) or dry medium. Results: The initial surface roughness was not different among groups (p>0.05). G_HAp showed increased values after immersion in water (p<0.05) or lactic acid (p<0.05). SEM analysis showed a surface variation of the filled adhesives, mainly for G_α-TCP and G_HAp. G_HAp showed the highest UTS in dry medium (p<0.05), and its value decreased after lactic acid storage (p<0.05). Conclusions: The findings of this study showed that HAp, OCP, and α-TCP affected the physical behavior of the experimental adhesive resins in different ways. HAp was the calcium phosphate that most adversely affected the surface roughness and the mechanical property of the material, mainly when exposed to an acid medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]