Pretreatment of Hybrid Ceramics Using Ho: YAG, Low-Level Laser Therapy Activated Malachite Green, and Non-Thermal Plasma on Surface Roughness, Bond Strength, and Color Change, SEM and EDX Analysis

The study aimed to assess the effects of different surface conditionings on hybrid ceramics (HBC). Hydrofluoric acid was combined with a silane (HFA+S), low-level laser therapy activated Malachite green (LLLT-MG), Ho: YAG laser, and non-thermal plasma (NTP) as surface conditioning methods for HBC. Eighty-four HBC discs were prepared and divided into four groups according to surface conditioning methods. The total number of samples (n = 21) for each group was further split into two for the non-thermocycling and thermocycling subgroups. After surface treatment, all samples were examined to study the effect of color change and surface roughness. The shear bond strength (SBS) test of HBC was performed on thermo-cycled samples. Statistical analysis using ANOVA with Tukey post hoc was performed to observe any significant difference among tested groups, p > 0.05. The HFA+S and Ho: YAG surface-treated samples showed higher SBS than other surface-treated samples due to higher surface roughness. All surface conditioning methods, except NTP, induced noticeable color change, making them less suitable for aesthetical purposes in clinical settings. Overall, surface conditioning methods are critical in affecting shear bond strength through surface roughness and color change.