Movement of resin cement components through acid-treated dentin during crown cementation in vitro

This study examined the hypothesis that components of crown cements may be forced through acid-treated dentin during cementation. Freshly extracted, human third molar teeth were prepared to accept full crowns. Roots were removed to allow irrigation of the pulp chamber with saline before, during, and after crown placement with resin dentin bond and resin composite cement. Saline samples were collected and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography to identify and quantify resin components arriving in the pulp space. Two components of the bond-cement system used were identified in the pulp space samples immediately after crown cementation. These were 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate and 2,2-bis[4-(2-hydroxy-3-methacryloxypropoxy)phenyl]propane. The amounts of these components in the pulp space decreased when the bonding agent was cured prior to crown placement. The results of this study supported the hypothesis that crown cementing components may flow through acid-treated dentin during crown cementation.