Effects of acidic primer/adhesives on primary and permanent dentin

To evaluate the quality of primary and permanent dentin by Fourier transformed Raman spectroscopy (FT-Raman), and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS).

The middle dentin of crowns was reached by carbide bur abrading providing a uniform smear layer. Self-etching primers were applied in order to simulate the etching of self-etching adhesive systems. The groups were (n = 6): G1 (primary dentin smear layer); G2 (primary dentin etched by primer of Clearfil Protect Bond); G3 (primary dentin etched by Adper Prompt); G4 (permanent dentin smear layer); G5 (permanent dentin etched by primer of Clearfil Protect Bond); G6 (permanent dentin etched by Adper Prompt). SEM/EDS were made in order to obtain additional elemental data to complement FT-Raman. FT-Raman data were submitted to cluster analysis.

Overall, FT-Raman showed differences between primary and permanent dentin concerning organic content, but not for inorganic content. FT-Raman showed differences in the organic content between primary and permanent dentin after self-etching primer use. HEMA usage caused molecular changes in the organic content, while phosphoric acidic ester caused molecular changes in the inorganic content of primary and permanent dentin. The SEM/EDS identified C, O, P, and Ca, which could not replace ions to change mineral molecular arrangement. Both organic and mineral content arrangements were similar after self-etching primers action. The organic content of dentin was modified by both Clearfil PB primer and Adper Prompt for primary dentin but only by Clearfil PB for permanent dentin. The inorganic content of primary middle dentin was similar to the inorganic content of permanent middle dentin, even when Adper Prompt is used.