Diffusion of resin monomers through human carious dentin in vitro

The diffusion of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) from light cured bonding resin-composite resin restorations through human carious dentin was investigated. Extracted human molar teeth with different degrees of caries were obtained from consenting donors. Teeth were classified into three groups according to caries severity (mild, moderate and severe) using subjective criteria. The outer carious lesions were then removed guided by a proprietary caries detector dye. Teeth with exposure of the pulp space after caries removal were excluded from the study. A polypropylene chamber was attached to the cemento-enamel junction of each tooth to contain 1 ml distilled water. Each cavity was restored with a HEMA containing bonding resin then a TEGDMA-containing resin composite. Water samples were retrieved over a time course and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. There was great variation between teeth in HEMA and TEGDMA permeability. The cumulative amounts released were of similar magnitude to those observed in non-carious teeth for the mild and moderately-severe groups. However, the cumulative amounts released were markedly greater in severely carious teeth than in those with moderate or mild caries.