Bonding to Demineralized Dentin: Impact of Immediate and Delayed Dentin Sealing over Time

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Immediate dentin sealing (IDS) has been widely investigated in sound dentin; however, its efficacy on demineralized dentin remains insufficiently explored. This in vitro experimental study aimed to evaluate the shear bond strength (SBS) of indirect composite resin restorations bonded to demineralized dentin using IDS, assessed at 24 h and after 6 months of aging. <b>Methods:</b> Twenty-five extracted premolars were randomly divided into five groups: (1) control (no sealing), (2) IDS applied to sound dentin (sound-IDS), (3) IDS applied to demineralized dentin (carious-IDS), (4) delayed dentin sealing (DDS) on sound dentin (sound-DDS), and (5) DDS on demineralized dentin (carious-DDS). SBS values were analyzed using a three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with dentin condition (sound vs. demineralized), aging time (24 h vs. 6 months), and sealing strategy (control, IDS, DDS) as independent variables. Statistical analyses were performed using SigmaPlot 12.0, with significance set at <i>p</i> < 0.05. <b>Results:</b> The results showed that IDS led to significantly higher SBS than DDS (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Bond strength was significantly influenced by dentin condition (<i>p</i> < 0.05), and all interactions between variables-particularly between dentin condition and sealing strategy, and between aging time and treatment-were statistically significant (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Overall, bond strength was higher at 24 h than after 6 months. IDS showed optimal performance in sound dentin, while DDS resulted in better long-term outcomes in demineralized dentin. <b>Conclusions:</b> These findings suggest that DDS may be the more effective approach in cases of carious or demineralized dentin.