Influence of curing protocols on water sorption and solubility of a self-adhesive resin-cement

Aim: To evaluate the effect of different activation protocols on the polymerization of a self-adhesive dual cured resin-based cement. Methods: Thirty disc-shaped specimens were prepared with the resin cement RelyX U200 (3M ESPE) and divided according to three protocols: immediate light-activation for 40 s, delayed light-activation (10 min after manipulation, for 40 s) or self-curing without light-activation. The specimens were desiccated, kept in water at 37 °C for 7 days and desiccated again to calculate water sorption, solubility and mass variation. Data were analyzed by Shapiro-Wilk Test and Wilcoxon tests (α=0.05). Images after the specimens’ final desiccation were also made. Results: The Wilcoxon test revealed a significant difference for sorption and mass variation (p