Effects of chlorhexidine in self-etching adhesive: 24 hours results

It is known that chlorhexidine (CHX) does not inhibit micro-tensile bond strengths (MTBS) when it is used in etch-and-rinse adhesives. In that technique, CHX is applied to dentin as a primer after phosphoric acid-etching before bonding with Single Bond. It would be more convenient if it is possible to incorporate CHX into the adhesive. The purpose of this study was to compare the MTBS and the FT-IR percent conversion of an all-in-one self-etching adhesives contained varying concentration of CHX. Extracted human third molars were bonded with a control all-in-one adhesive or experimental versions containing 0.5, 1, 2 or 5% CHX. The MTBS and the percent conversion of experimental adhesives containing up to 1% CHX were not signifcantly CHX-free control adhesives. However, addition of 2 or especially 5% CHX experimental adhesives produced signifcant reductions in both the MTBS and the percent conversion.