Effect of various surface treatments on the shear bond strength of resin composite-polyetheretherketone interfaces: An <i>in-vitro</i> study

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cannot be used without veneering in the anterior area. This study aims to observe the influence of the various surface treatment protocols on the shear bond strength (SBS) between veneering resin composite and PEEK. Sixty cylindrical PEEK specimens (16×5 mm) were fabricated using CAD-CAM, and divided into six groups (n=10) based on the surface treatment method: NT: no treatment (control), SA: 98% sulphuric acid, HP: 30% hydrogen peroxide, SB: airborne particle abrasion with 50 µ aluminum oxide particles, SL: silicatization followed by silanization, and HF: 9.5% hydrofluoric acid. After the application of the resin composite, specimens were thermocycled and subjected to fracture testing using a universal testing machine. Fractured surfaces were examined microscopically and the data were analyzed statistically. The SA and SL groups exhibited significantly higher mean SBS values (p<0.001), although the difference between them was not statistically significant (p=0.24).