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

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Dental Materials Science
• Adhesive Dentistry

Background:

• Dental adhesives are crucial for bonding restorative materials to tooth structure.
• Understanding the in vivo performance of different adhesive systems is essential for clinical success.
• Total-etch and self-etching adhesives represent distinct approaches to dentin surface preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare the in vivo interfacial characteristics of one total-etch and two self-etching dental adhesives applied to human dentin.

Main Methods:

• Three dental adhesives (Admira Bond, SE Bond, Hybrid Bond) were applied in vivo to human dentin surfaces.
• Teeth were extracted immediately after application and curing of the adhesive and a thin resin composite layer.
• Samples were prepared for light microscopy to visualize the hybrid layer and resin tag morphology.

Main Results:

• The total-etch adhesive (Admira Bond) demonstrated a thick hybrid layer and long resin tags.
• The self-etching adhesive SE Bond exhibited a very thin hybrid layer and short resin tags.
• The self-etching adhesive Hybrid Bond showed results similar to the total-etch system.

Conclusions:

• The total-etch system and one self-etching system (Hybrid Bond) formed more substantial hybrid layers and resin tags in vivo compared to another self-etching system (SE Bond).
• These findings suggest differences in the in vivo interfacial integrity of various adhesive systems, impacting their clinical performance.