Clinical evaluation of a filled adhesive system in Class 5 restorations

The restoration of the Class 5 lesion has proved to be an excellent model to measure the clinical efficacy of dentin adhesive materials. This is the result of numerous factors, such as the nonretentive nature of the lesion, large areas of exposed dentin with limited enamel margins, and the high degree of flexure from occlusion that is transmitted to the restoration. The role of the adhesive agent has been critical to the successful restoration of the lesion. Numerous improvements have been introduced to correct deficiencies of earlier-generation bonding systems. The addition of filler particles to the resin adhesive has provided significant benefits, especially in marginal adaptation. The clinical performance of OptiBond, a filled dentin adhesive system, was investigated through the restoration of 80 Class 5 abrasion lesions in 35 patients in accordance with the Guidelines for Dentin and Enamel Adhesive Materials of the American Dental Association. At 2 years, all clinical evaluation parameters were rated 94% to 100% alpha. OptiBond has demonstrated therapeutic effectiveness in eliminating the dentin hypersensitivity that often occurs in Class 5 abrasion lesions.