Morphological characterization of the interface between resin and sclerotic dentine

Since dentine exposed to the oral environment undergoes important compositional and morphological transformations, bonding to it differs significantly from bonding to unaffected normal dentine. In this investigation, the interface between resin and sclerotic dentine, the dentine type clinically exhibited by cervical abrasive or erosive lesions, was morphologically characterized by scanning electron microscopy after an argon-ion-beam etching procedure. The microstructure of the resin-sclerotic dentine interface was compared with that produced to normal unaffected dentine in an attempt to find reasons for the reported less reliable bonding of adhesive resins to sclerotic dentine. A resin-dentine interdiffusion zone or hybrid layer with only a limited width was formed at the hypermineralized intertubular dentine. No or only short resin tags were developed in most dentinal tubules, since their orifices were obliterated due to increased peritubular dentine apposition, intratubular deposition of irregular minerals and formation of so-called sclerotic casts. Consequently, it is reasonable to predict that dentine adhesives with an adhesion strategy, which mainly involves micromechanical interlocking by the formations of a resin-dentine interdiffusion zone combined with resin-tag development into the dentinal tubules, will be less effective when applied to sclerotic dentine than to unaffected normal dentine. An adapted adhesive treatment may be necessary to make sclerotic dentine more receptive to bonding. Further research should be directed to develop adhesive systems that bond equally well to various kinds of dentine.