Effectiveness of self‐etching ceramic primer on the bond strength of dental glass ceramics: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of in vitro studies on feldspathic and leucite‐reinforced ceramics

Purpose This systematic review and meta‐analysis evaluated the bond strength effectiveness of a self‐etching ceramic primer, specifically Monobond Etch & Prime (MEP), compared to hydrofluoric acid with silane (HF+S) in feldspathic and leucite‐reinforced dental glass‐ceramics (DGCs). Materials and Methods This study followed PRISMA‐p guidelines and was registered in the Open Science Framework (DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/MERJU). Searches were conducted in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and gray literature through October 2024. In vitro studies comparing MEP and HF+S without language or year restrictions were included. Risk of bias was assessed using RoBDEMAT. Meta‐analyses considered bond strength test methods and aging protocols. Results Sixteen studies were included from 1322 records ( k = 0.91). Under immediate conditions, no significant differences were observed between MEP and HF+S for feldspathic ( p = 0.21) and leucite‐reinforced ( p = 0.96) DGCs, indicating comparable short‐term bond strength performance. After aging, no significant differences were found for feldspathic DGCs ( p = 0.14), while HF+S showed higher strength in leucite‐reinforced ( p < 0.00001) DGCs. Overall, findings remain inconclusive for long‐term performance due to high methodological heterogeneity ( I 2 > 50%), variations in aging protocols, reliance on in vitro‐only studies, insufficient reporting of randomization, and absence of operator blinding. Conclusion Under immediate conditions, MEP demonstrates bond strength comparable to HF+S, with the advantage of a simplified and safer application. Long‐term performance remains uncertain due to methodological heterogeneity and in vitro‐only evidence, highlighting the need for standardized protocols and clinical validation.