Strontium Incorporating Hypochlorous Acid as a Novel Conditioner for Improvement of Self‐Etch Adhesive Dentin Bond Performance

ABSTRACT We developed a novel strontium‐incorporating hypochlorous acid (Sr/HOCl) conditioner to improve dental adhesive performance. Human dentin surfaces were pretreated with four protocols: untreated control, pure HOCl, HOCl with subsequent application of sulfinate agent (HOCl + SA), and Sr/HOCl. Bond strength was evaluated after 24‐h storage and thermal cycling, while polymerization efficiency was assessed using FTIR spectroscopy. Surface characterization employed energy‐dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Sr/HOCl and HOCl + SA groups exhibited significantly higher initial bond strengths than control and pure HOCl groups ( p < 0.05). After thermal cycling, both Sr/HOCl and HOCl + SA maintained superior bond strengths, while control and pure HOCl showed significant degradation. Sr/HOCl treatment enhanced adhesive polymerization to levels comparable to HOCl + SA and significantly better than pure HOCl. Surface analysis confirmed successful strontium deposition while preserving dentin structure. This preliminary study suggests that single‐step Sr/HOCl pretreatment shows promise for simplifying clinical protocols while achieving performance equivalent to conventional multi‐step methods, offering potential for improved dental restoration longevity.