Objectives To characterize the interaction of 1-Ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl] carbodiimide Hydrochloride (EDC) with dentin matrix and its effect on the resin-dentin bond. Methods Changes to the stiffness of demineralized dentin fragments treated with EDC/N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) in different solutions were evaluated at different time points. The resistance against enzymatic degradation was indirectly evaluated by ultimate tensile strength (UTS) test of demineralized dentin treated or not with EDC/NHS and subjected to collagenase digestion. Short- and long-term evaluations of the strength of resin-dentin interfaces treated with EDC/NHS for 1 hour were performed using microtensile bond strength (µTBS) test. All data (MPa) were individually analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests (α=0.05). Results The different exposure times significantly increased the stiffness of dentin (p<0.0001, control - 5.15 and EDC/NHS - 29.50), while no differences were observed among the different solutions of EDC/NHS (p=0.063). Collagenase challenge did not affect the UTS values of EDC/NHS group (6.08) (p>0.05), while complete degradation was observed for the control group (p=0.0008, control - 20.84 and EDC/NHS - 43.15). EDC/NHS treatment did not significantly increase resin-dentin µTBS, but the values remained stable after 12 months water storage (p<0.05). Conclusions Biomimetic use of EDC/NHS to induce exogenous collagen cross-links resulted in increased mechanical properties and stability of dentin matrix and dentin-resin interfaces.

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The long-term maintenance of the surface quality of materials is fundamental to improving the longevity of esthetic restorations. In this manner, the use of surface sealants could be an important step in the restorative procedure using resin-based materials.