Dentin bonding agents--a perspective on research and clinical use

The last several years have shown remarkable advances in the development of dentin bonding agents. Today, a majority of dentists routinely use dentin bonding agents in clinical practice. Yet, despite this widespread acceptance, these materials are still in their infancy and require improvements in their performance as well as an understanding of their adhesion mechanisms. Bond strengths to dentin are sufficient to prove useful but are less than needed for totally reliable results. Furthermore, problems related to polymerization shrinkage of composite restorative materials can compromise the bond to dentin resulting in decreased adhesion and marginal seal. Better materials are now being developed, but, in the meantime, limitations of the current materials should be understood and respected in clinical application.