Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of environmental temperature, humidity and methods to dry the etched enamel surface on the adhesive strength of dental adhesive resin ‘Panavia EX’. The findings were as follows:
1. Though temperature and humidity in oral cavity were higher than 30°C and 81% respectively, they were significantly different from site to site.
2. By rubber dam application, temperature and humidity in oral cavity decreased markedly. By sucking air with vacuum in addition to rubber dam application, both decreased still more.
3. When vacuum was used, there were no statistically significant differences in temperature and humidity among applications of rubber dum, mini-dam, and cotton roll with clamp.
4. The higher were both of environmental temperature and humidity, the more was the tensile adhesive strength reduced. However, since the adhesive strength was not influenced singly by temperature or by humidity, it is suggested that the adhesive strength is influenced by absolute moisture volume.
5. Drying time on the etched-enamel surface influenced the adhesive strength significantly whatever environmental temperature and humidity are. It seems that at least 15 seconds are needed to dry the etched-enamel surface sufficiently with air syringe.
6. It was hardly effective for increasing the adhesive strength to dry the etched-enamel surface with alcohol and to increase the temperature and pressure of compressed air.
