Magister Chirurgiae Dentium (MChD) / Background: This study aimed to determine the association between dimensional change and surface roughness (Ra) of Vitremer, Activa and Cention N after immersing them into two different media: acidic and artificial saliva media for the period of a year. Measurements were made at 10 time intervals during the observation period. Methodology: This was a quantitative and qualitative study. For the quantitative part, a total of 60 specimens were tested, 20 specimens for each material. The 20 specimens were further divided into 10 specimens. Ten were immersed in acidic media and the rest in saliva media. A measurement of the weight, height, and Ra was carried out as follows: day 0, day 1, day 2, day 7, day 21, day 28, day 60, day 90, day 180 and day 365. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the surface of each material qualitatively pre and post immersion in the two media. For fluoride measurements, an additional five samples from each material were left suspended in the de-ionized water by the use of dental floss. The materials were moved to new specimen jars after the completion of day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 21 and 28. All the specimen jars had been kept for the fluoride measurements. Results: Non-parametric tests were used to analyze the data. Linear regression analysis was used to measure the association between weight, height or surface roughness (Ra) and immersion time for a year. The result of this test showed that Vitremer had a significant association between the weight (p = 0.000), height (p = 0.007) and Ra (p = 0.001) when it was immersed in acidic media. On the other hand, when Vitremer was immersed in saliva media, only the weight variable showed a significant association (p = 0.002). For Cention N, significant association was found for only Ra when immersed in acidic media (p = 0.000). Finally, for Activa, all the studied associations; the weight, height and Ra in both media were found to be insignificant. For saliva media, there was a significant weight change between the three materials during all 10 periods of time (p = 0.000). In the first six months, Cention N demonstrated a significant increase in weight changes followed by Vitremer, then Activa. Yet, after a year, the difference between Cention N and Vitremer became insignificant and Activa showed the least weight changes. There was not a significant difference between the materials in terms of height and Ra measurements. The fluoride experiment was not successful due to technical issues during pH measurements of the collected solutions. For comparison of the studied parameters between the three materials, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used. In acidic media, there was a significant difference between the materials in term of weight change in 10 periods of time (p = 0.000). In particular, after a two month period, Cention N had the highest weight, followed by Vitremer and then by Activa. The difference between Vitremer and Activa became insignificant throughout the rest of the experimental time frame. All the height measurements between the three materials were found to be insignificant except for day 365 (p = 0.048), where both Activa and Cention N were found to be significantly higher than Vitremer. For the Ra comparison, in the first two weeks, particularly day 1, 7 and 14, Cention N had significantly the lowest Ra among the other materials. As the three materials aged in the acidic media (day 180), Vitremer had significantly the highest Ra values. Cention N showed higher Ra values than Activa; nonetheless this difference was not significant. The SEM images showed loss of some particles in all post-experimental images of the materials in acidic media. Vitremer showed the widest cracks with the loss of fillers. In saliva media, there was also loss of particles but to a lesser extent than in acidic media. Yet, the post-experimental image of Activa in saliva resembled the pre-experimental one. Conclusion: Within the limitations of the study, the best material to resist Ra from prolonged acidic attack was Activa followed by Cention N and then Vitremer. Except for Vitremer, no significant changes in the Ra of the other materials were detected when the three materials were immersed in saliva media in the long term. In acidic media Vitremer tended to lose weight and height faster than Cention N and Activa over a year. Cention N is the best material to resist dimensional change. However, in artificial saliva Vitremer gained water rapidly. Activa did not absorb a lot of water and did not reject a lot of water; Activa demonstrated good dimensional stability and this property may be beneficial when compared to the other two materials tested. The clinical significance of the study: All the materials studied were subjected to dimensional and Ra changes following long-term exposure to acidic substances, but the newer materials (Cention N and Activa) seemed to be more dimensionally stable and resistant to Ra changes than the older, well-known material (Vitremer). This may influence a clinician’s choice of restorative material for use in pediatric dentistry.

Le fil directeur durant cette période de recherche a été l’étude d’une interface dentine/titane assemblée par collage. L’objectif était d’optimiser et de simplifier des étapes du protocole d’assemblage, d’améliorer et d’étudier les performances de l’interface adhérente. Dans ce travail, les interfaces ont été testées in vitro par cisaillement.Cette étude a comporté trois volets :Le but de la première étude a été d’évaluer un assemblage par ciment verre ionomère (CVI), le Fuji Plus®, appliqué en association avec des adhésifs auto-mordançants sur la dentine. Trois des combinaisons « système auto-mordançant/Fuji Plus® » ont été appliquées et les résultats obtenus montrent des améliorations significatives entre 9% et 44% par rapport aux valeurs obtenues sur des éprouvettes de témoin.Le second volet expérimental a eu pour objectif de tester la compatibilité entre cinq systèmes adhésifs auto-mordançants (SAM) et deux composites d’assemblage (CA). Les SAM1 se sont révélés totalement incompatibles avec les CA chémopolymérisés ou duals. Inversement, les SAM2 étaient compatibles avec des CA chémopolymérisants ou duals. Une corrélation positive a été trouvée entre le pH des SAM ou les résines testées et les données de cisaillement.La dernière étude a été dédiée à l’évaluation de l'effet du stockage dans l’eau sur la résistance à la flexion (σf) et sur la résistance au cisaillement (RC) d’une interface dentine/titane assemblée par quatre résines adhésives auto-mordançantes (MRAM). Cette étude a montré que le stockage dans l'eau durant 60 jours a affecté négativement la résistance à la flexion de certains matériaux. L'adhésion dentine/titane offerte par Rely X® et G-Cem® était significativement plus élevée que celle de Maxcem® et SmartCem2®. / The aim of this work was to study a bonding dentin/titanium interface. The objective was to optimize and simplify the steps of the bonding protocol, improve and know well the performance of the adhesive interface. In this work, all interfaces have been tested in vitro by shearing.This study included three parts :The purpose of the first study was to evaluate an assemblage by glass ionomer cement (GIC), the Fuji plus®, applied in combination with self-etch bonding system on dentin. Three combinations "system self-etching / Fuji Plus®" were applied and the results obtained by test showed significant improvements from 9% to 44% higher than the values obtained on control specimens.The second experimental part was designed to test the compatibility between five self-etch bonding systems (SEBS) and two resin luting cements (RLC). Significant differences of bond strength in shear were observed according to both the curing mode of the RLC and the adhesive. The SEBS1 proved totally incompatible with chemical or dual cured RLC. Conversely, two-steps SEBS were compatible with RLC chemical/dual cured RLC. A positive correlation was found between the pH of the SEBS or the tested resins and the shear data.The latest study was devoted to evaluate the effect of the storage condition on flexural strength (σf) and shear bond strength (SBS) of a dentin/titanium interface assembled by four self-etch adhesive resin (SEARC). This study showed that the storage in water for 60 days has negatively affected the bending resistance of certain materials. The dentin/titanium adherence offered by Rely X® and G-Cem® was significantly higher than that of Maxcem® and SmartCem2®.