BONDING IN

DENTISTRY

1
 Introducti
on
•For a restorative material, adhesion is the
primary requirement so that restorative
materials can be bonded to enamel or dentin
and without the need of extensive tooth
preparation.
• Initial advancement was made by
Buonocore, in 1955, who developed acid
etching of the enamel
 Application of
bonding
•To treat carious and fractured tooth structure
• To restore erosion or abrasion defects in cervical
areas
• To correct unesthetic contours, positions,
dimensions, or shades of teeth
•To treat dentinal hypersensitivity
•For the repair of fractured porcelain, amalgam and
resin restorations
• For pit and fissure sealants
•To bond composite restorations
•To bond amalgam restorations
• To lute crowns
•To bond orthodontic brackets
 adhesion

Enamel
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 Advantages

• Adhesion of composite resin restorations to enamel

and dentin
• Minimizes removal of sound tooth structure
• Management of dentin hypersensitivity
• Adhesion reduces microleakage at tooth restoration
interface
• As a part of resin cements for bonding cast
restorations
• Adhesion expands the range of esthetic possibilities
• Bonding of porcelain restorations, e.g. porcelain
inlays, onlays and veneers
• Reinforces weakened tooth structure
• For repair of porcelain or composite
• Bonding amalgam restorations to tooth
• Repair of amalgam restorations
• To bond orthodontic appliances.
Principles of
adhesion
•Adhesion or Bonding: The forces or
energies between atoms or molecules
at an interface that hold two phases
together
•Adherend Surface or substrate that
is adhered.
•Adhesive/Adherent A material that
can join substances together, resist
separation and transmit loads across
the bond.
Adhesion

adhesive ADHESION

Substrate, adherend

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Adhesive joint

Substrate, adherent

adhesive
Adhesiv
e joint

Substrate, adherent

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 bonding of
resins to tooth
st ru ct ure
•Mechanical—penetration of resin and
formation of resin tags within the tooth surface
•Adsorption—chemical bonding to the
inorganic component (hydroxyapatite) or
organic components (mainly type I collagen) of
tooth structure
•Diffusion—precipitation of substances on the
tooth surfaces to which resin monomers can
bond mechanically or chemically.
• A combination of the previous three
mechanisms
 Factors affecting adhesion :

Wetting
•Wetting is an expression of the attractive forces
between molecules of adhesive and adherent
•It depends on two factors:

• Cleanliness of the adherend : Cleaner the surface,

greater is the adhesion.
• Surface energy of the adherend: More surface
energy results in better adhesion
Contact Angle
•Contact angle refers to the angle formed
between the surface of a liquid drop and its
adherent surface.
•Stronger the attraction between adhesive
and adherent, smaller is the contact angle.
•Zero contact angle is the best to obtain
wetting.
3. Surface contamination:
Surface Contamination Cleaner the surface,
better is the adhesion

4. Water: Lesser the water content, better is

the adhesion. Water can react with both
materials by the high polar group and hydrogen
bond which can hamper the adhesion.
REQUISITE OF AN IDEAL
BONDING AGENT
• Should be biocompatible
• Should bond effectively to both enamel
& dentin
• Should have sufficient strength to resist
failure as a result of masticatory forces
• Should have mechanical properties
close to tooth structure
• Should be easy to use
Enamel
adhesion
Conditioning Enamel &
Etching
• Enamel surfaces generally have low surface energy.

• Untouced Enamel is covered by a predominantly

organic layer, comprised of adsorbed proteins most of
which originate from saliva.

• Organic biofilm is referred to as ‘pellicle’

• Enamel when ground, is also covered by a protein rich

film called the ‘Smear Layer’

• Both pellicle & smear layer are considered as surface

contaminants

• These protein biofilms on enamel may attract

microorganisms from plaque

• So objective is to remove the contaminants &

•The procedure that leads to removal of
organic layer, making the enamel surface
more reactive is known as ‘ Conditioning’

•The procedure that leads to

demineralization of superficial calcium ions
is known as ‘etching’
Effects of acid etching
on enamel
The first step in bonding to enamel is etching to enable
micromechanical bonding
– Removes the residual pellicle to expose the inorganic
crystalline component

– Creates a porous layer 5 to 50 um in depth

– Increase the wettability & surface area

– Raises the free surface energy ----72 dynes/ cm

– Bond strength of etched enamel to composite resin usually

varies between 15 and 25 mpa.

– Bonding to enamel depends primarily

on resin tags becoming interlocked within enamel
surface irregularities
Acid etching transforms the smooth enamel into an
irregular surface and increases its surface free energy

Application of a fluid resin-based material to the

irregular etched surface, facilitates penetration of the
resin into the surface aided by capillary action

Monomers in the material are then polymerized, and

the material becomes interlocked with the enamel
surface

The formation of resin microtags within the enamel

surface is the fundamental mechanism of resin–
enamel
3 Patterns of Etching :

Type 1: most common etching pattern

•involves the preferential removal of enamel prism

cores with prism peripheries remaining relatively
intact.

•Type 2: Etching pattern is reverse of type 1, i.e

peripheries are removed leaving the cores intact.

•Type 3: Etching pattern is less distinct, & includes

areas resembling type 1 & type 2 patterns as well as
regions in which the etching pattern appears
unrelated to prism morphology.
 Phosphoric Acid as an Etchant

• 37% phosphoric acid is the most commonly

used acid for etching

• At concentration greater than 50%, there

occurs formation of a layer of monocalcium
phosphate monohydrate on etched surface
which prevents any further dissolution,

• < 30% there forms a precipitate of dicalcium

phosphate dihydrate that cannot be easily
removed
 Summary of Acid Etching
and Enamel Bonding

• Acid used: 37% phosphoric acid

• Etching time: 15-20 seconds
• Form of acid: Liquid or gel(Gel form preferred)
applied by syringe or brush
• Effects of etching: Three-dimensional
microtopography at the enamel surface resulting in
frosty white appearance of etched enamel.
• Bonding agent used: BISGMA or UDMA
•Bond strength: 15 to 25 MPa
• Bonding mechanism: Etching produces
micropores into which there is mechanical
interlocking of the resin
Bonding to Dentin
• Dentin bonding is comparatively
difficult because of the fact that
dentin is a complex tissue and
contains plenty of fluids.

• Because of the vast structural

and functional variations between
the dentin and enamel, bonding to
each is not similar.
Problems Encountered during
Dentin Bonding

•In enamel, it is 95 percent inorganic hydroxyapatite by

volume, in dentin it is 50 percent. Dentin contains
more water than does enamel.
•Hydroxyapatite crystals have a regular pattern in
enamel whereas in dentin, hydroxyapatite crystals are
randomly arranged in an organic matrix.
•Dentin contains dentinal tubules which contain vital
processes of the pulp, odontoblasts. This makes the
dentin a sensitive structure.
• Dentin is a dynamic tissue which shows changes due
to aging, caries or operative procedures.
• Fluid present in dentinal tubules constantly flows
outwards which reduces the adhesion of the
composite resin.
Problems in bonding to dentine

Random arrangement Tubular nature of

of HA dentin

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Sclerosed dentin Smear layer
M e c h a n i sm o f b o n d in g t o
dentin
 Hybridization
•Hybridization is the process of formation of a hybrid
layer.
•Hybrid layer is phenomenon of formation of resin
interlocking in the demineralized dentin surface
•When dentin is treated with a conditioner, it exposes
the collagen fibril network with interfibrillar
microporosities.
• When primer is applied, these spaces are filled with
low viscosity monomer.
• This layer formed by demineralization of dentin,
infiltration of monomer and subsequent
polymerization is called hybrid layer/resin reinforced
layer.
• This hybrid layer is responsible for micromechanical
bonding between tooth and resin
 Zones of the Hybrid
Layer
•Hybrid layer consists of three different
zones:
1. Top layer: Consists of loosely arranged
collagen fibrils and interfibrillar spaces filled
with resin.
2. Middle layer: Consists of interfibrillar
spaces in which hydroxyapatite crystals have
been replaced by resin monomer because of
the hybridization process.
3. Bottom layer: Consists of almost
unaffected dentin with a partly demineralized
zone of dentin
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How is hybridization
achieved?
Basically 3 steps:-
- CONDITIONING
- PRIMING
- BONDING
 DENTIN CONDITIONER

• An acidic agent that dissolves the inorganic structure in

dentin resulting in collagen mesh that allows infiltration of
an adhesive resin
• Removes smear layer and smear plugs
•Demineralizes Peritubular dentin.
•- opens tubule orifices in a typical funnel shape
configuration
•- exposes a circularly oriented collagen fibril
arrangement.
•Decreases free surface energy
•Increases surface roughness
 PRIMER

•A hydrophilic, low viscosity resin, which is usually a

bifunctional monomer in a volatile solvent such as
acetone or alcohol
•displaces residual surface moisture
•by use of bifunctional molecules, wets and envelops
the exposed collagen fibrils.
•sufficiently
carry monomers into interfibrillar
channels transforms a hydrophilic substrate into a
hydrophobic tissue state
•increases the surface free energy
 ADHESIVE

•An unfilled or partially filled resin which includes

monomers that are mostly hydrophobic (BIS-GMA)
but may contain a small percentage of hydrophilic
monomers. Such as HEMA.
•fill up the remaining pores between the collagen
fibrils
•form resin tags to seal open dentinal tubules
•initiates and advance the polymerization reaction and
co polymerizes with the primer molecules
•stabilizes the formed hybrid layer and resin tags
DENTIN BONDING
AGENTS
deal Requirement of Dentin
Bonding Agent

•Provide optimal bond strength similar to bond

strength of composite to resin
• Biocompatibility
• Long-term stability
• Attain high bond strength
•Be easy to apply and not be technique sensitive
 FIRST GENERATION
- No. of steps involved were two; etching of enamel + application
of adhesive

- Did not recommend dentin etching

- Very weak adhesion to dentin

• NPG-GMA(N-phenyl glycine glycidyl methacrylate), a surface

active comonomer is considered as the first generation dentin
bonding system.
• Bond strength 2MPa.
• Theoretically, the comonomer could chelate with calcium on the
tooth surface to generate water-resistant chemical bonds of
resin to dentin.
• Example : Cervident
 SECOND GENERATION
•Developed in 1970.
• Did not recommend dentin etching
• Low bond strength (4–6 MPa)
• They are phosphate ester material
(phenyl-P and hydroxyethyl methacrylate
in ethanol)
•Relied on adhesion to smear layer but
some of them employed use of mild
cleansing agent
• No. of steps involved were two; etching of
enamel + application of adhesive
 THIRD GENERATION

• Employed the concept of conditioning and

priming before application of bonding agent
• Involved removal or modification of smear
layer
• Three steps application, i.e. Etching of
enamel + Application of primer + Bonding
agent application
• High bond strength and reduced
microleakage
4th Generation (3 Steps)

• They are; three step, total etch adhesive

systems.
1. Etchant
2. Primer
3. Adhesive

• bond strength (17-25 MPa)

• Although smear layer acts as a ‘diffusion barrier’ that

reduces the permeability of dentin, it also can be
considered as an obstacle to the bonding.
• Acid treatment not only alters the mineral content of
the dentin substrate but also alters the surface free
energy.

• When primer and bonding resins are applied to etched

dentin, they penetrate the intertubular dentin, forming a
resin-dentin interdiffusion zone, or ‘hybrid layer’.

• Examples : Scotch Bond Multi Purpose(3M), All Bond 2,

Panavia 21
FIFTH GENERATION

• These adhesives are a simplified version of the fourth

generation adhesives. Also known as ‘one bottle’
system.

• The primer and adhesive is combined in one bottle. A

separate etching step is still required.

• Bond strength (20-24 MPa)

• Example : Single Bond(3M), One-Step, Gluma

Comfort Bond.
 SIXTH GENERATION

• Acids of lower concentration are generally

used :10% Phosphoric, 2.5%nitric, 10%
citric, 10% maleic acids.
• They are also known as SEP – Self Etching
Primers.
• Bond strength (18-23 MPa)
Commercially they are available in two
forms:
1. SELF ETCHING PRIMERS: etchant and
primer is in one bottle while adhesive is in a
separate bottle. First the etchant and primer
are applied on the tooth surface which is then
followed by application of adhesive agent.
•example : Clearfil SE bond, Xeno
2. SELF ETCHING ADHESIVES : in these, the etchant,
primer and adhesive are all in one package but require mixing before
application on the tooth surface.
• example : Prompt-L-Pop(3M
 SEVENTH GENERATION

• Also known as All-in-one adhesive system.

• These are the most recent generation of dentin bonding

agents.

• They combine etchant, primer, and adhesive in one bottle.

They do not require any mixing prior to application.

• Primarily these agents are intricate mixes of hydrophilic

and
•hydrophobic components in one bottle.

• Their bond strength is less than fourth and fifth

generation adhesives. (bond strength 18-25 MPa)

• Example : Cleaefil S3 Bond, G-Bond, Xeno IV

 8th Generation Bonding
Agent
• Modified version of 7th generation
bonding agent

• One- step dual cured, non filled, self

etch adhesive available in single use
blister packs

• Eg. Futurabond
Thank
you