Morphological characterization of the interface between self-etching adhesives and vital dentin

To evaluate the in vivo interface between one total-etch and two self-etching adhesives to dentin.

Two self-etching primers, SE Bond and Hybrid Bond and one total-etch adhesive, Admira Bond, were applied in vivo to flat dentin surfaces on human teeth scheduled for extraction. After adhesive application and curing, a thin layer of resin composite was applied and cured. The teeth were extracted immediately after adhesive application. All samples were split fractured along their long axes. Half of the samples were decalcified and deproteinized to permit visualization of the hybrid layer. The other halves were completely dissolved to observe the morphology of resin tags.

The total-etch system Admira Bond showed a thick hybrid layer and long resin tags, while SE Bond showed very thin hybrid layer with short resin tags. The findings of Hybrid Bond were similar to that of Admira Bond.