This study evaluated an alternative method for thermal cycling test on the microleakage and bond strength of the polymer-dentin bond. For the microleakage test the cavities were restored with a TEGDMA+UDMA+bis-EMA composite polymer light cured for 20 s. Samples were immersed in 2% methylene blue solution for 2 h and sectioned. Microleakage scores were submitted to Kruskal-Wallis test. For the shear bond strength test the adhesive was applied to dentin, photoactivated for 10 s and the composite polymer incrementally photoactivated. Samples were submitted to shear bond strength test in a machine with a cross-head speed of 0.5 mm/min and data were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey's test. Studied groups were: 1 - without thermocycling; 2 - thermocycled at 5 ºC and 55 ºC with intermediate bath at 37 ºC; 3 - thermocycled at 5 ºC and 37 ºC; 4 - thermocycled at 37 ºC and 55 ºC; 5 - thermocycled at 5 ºC and 55 ºC (traditional test). Cold baths promoted greater microleakage when compared to control and hot bath, whereas control and hot bath were similar. Cold baths presented significant lower shear bond strength than those submitted to hot bath and control. It was concluded that the alternative method for thermal cycling test showed that cold temperatures increased the microleakage and decreased the bond strength of the polymeric adhesive.
dentin bond strength; marginal microleakage; thermocycling temperatures
