Bonding of restorative resins to dentine: status of dentine adhesives and impact on cavity design and filling techniques.

In conjunction with the acid etch technique for bonding of restorative resins to enamel, an effective bonding to dentine would eliminate the need for retentive undercuts and ensure a tight marginal seal. Bonding to dentine can be achieved through dentine adhesives. These may be divided into Ca2+-bonding and collagen-bonding types. Several Ca2+-bonding adhesives are based on phosphate methacrylates. Adhesives of this type mediate a bond strength to dentine not exceeding 10 MPa. In contrast, Bowen's bonding system and the Gluma system yield bond strengths higher than 10 MPa. The two latter systems have recently been conceived in simplified versions. In general, the higher the bond strength to dentine mediated by an adhesive, the smaller are the marginal gaps formed by a composite resin polymerizing in a dentine cavity treated by the adhesive. The size and the shape of the cavity influence the width of the marginal gaps. A cavity having a V-shape gives rise to smaller gaps than box-shaped cavities. A filling technique with two 'inclining' layers reduces the width of marginal gaps. Combination of certain Ca2+-bonding and collagen-bonding adhesives results in increased bond strength and smaller marginal gaps.