Effect of Sonic Activation on Push-Out Bond Strength of Fiber Post: An In Vitro Study

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of conventional and sonic activation techniques on push-out bond strength of fiber post cemented with two different monomers containing self-adhesive resin cement (SARC). Four groups (n = 19 each) were made based on the type of SARC (Rely X U200 and Panavia SA) and technique (conventional and sonic activation). After placing the fiber post, each root was sectioned into 2 mm coronal, middle, and apical portions, and a push-out bond strength test was performed using a universal testing machine. The least push-out bond strength (13.0 +/- 0.9 MPa) was found in Rely X U200 conventional technique and highest with Panavia SA sonic activation technique (15.4 +/- 0.9 MPa). A significant difference was found in push-out bond strength at coronal (p = 0.002), middle (p = 0.002), and apical (p = 0.001) root sections using Rely X U200 cement with sonic activation as compared to the conventional technique. However, no difference (p > 0.05) was noticed between conventional and sonic activation techniques in Panavia SA cement at any root level. Sonic activation can be used as an adjunct with a manual technique to increase bond strength. However, it was noted that 10-MDP monomer containing SARC performed well regardless of techniques.