This study evaluates the effects of various agitation methods on the adhesive layer formation of a new HEMA-free universal dentin adhesive. The µTBS of the universal adhesive, G-Premio BOND in the self-etch mode was evaluated using three agitation methods [passive agitation (PA), active agitation (AA), ultrasonic agitation (UA)], with and without aging treatment. Two-way analysis of variance revealed that aging treatment was not a statistically significant factor. Tukey's HSD test showed significant differences based on the application method, UA>AA>PA. TEM images of the PA group revealed multiple water blisters in the adhesive layers; AA and UA groups presented significantly less or no blisters within the adhesive layers; thus, AA and UA groups exhibited better bonding performance for the HEMA-free universal adhesive. It is assumed that the entrap ped blisters can be reduced with the active application of dentin adhesive, and thus improving the bonding performance.
Keywords: Agitation; HEMA; Micro-tensile bond strength; Transmission electron microscopy; Universal dentin adhesive.