Purpose: This study aims to confirm the usefulness of active acoustic emission (Active AE) for reproducible and non-invasive generation of physical external force which is required for conventional AE.
Methods: Experiment 1: A root dentin-resin adhesive interface was observed. The post space was filled with a dual-cure resin composite core material with and without adhesive. The vibration characteristics of the data obtained from the time-frequency analysis were evaluated. Experiment 2: A crown-abutment tooth adhesive interface was observed. Adhesive resin cement was used for luting the crown and adhesion states in the same specimen over time were analyzed with three measurements: at trial-fitting, immediately after luting, and 2 weeks after luting. Data were subjected to time-frequency analysis and relationships between amplitude (indicating loudness) and frequency (indicating the sound component) were analyzed.
Results: Experiment 1: Time-frequency analysis confirmed multiple peak frequencies for each specimen without adhesive and monomodal peak frequency in all specimens using adhesive. Experiment 2: Two weeks after luting, all specimens showed a single major peak except one which showed multiple weak peaks. The three-dimensional visualization of time-frequency analysis revealed one specimen with multiple weak peaks while all others displayed a single, low-amplitude band at 2 weeks after luting.
Conclusion: The state of the adhesive interface can be evaluated using active AE. This basic technique may prove useful to evaluate changes in the adhesive interface of prostheses over time.
Keywords: Adhesive dentistry; Crown; Dental bonding; Mild-type one-step self-etching adhesive; Nondestructive evaluation.