Improved adhesion of acrylic restorative materials to dental enamel by precoating with monomers containing phosphonate groups.

The adhesion of acrylic composite restorative materials to etched dental enamel is increased by a factor of two or more when the enamel is coated with a thin layer of vinyl-benzyl phosponic acid (VBPA) prior to forming the enamel-restorative bond. The present results support the suggestion that the enhanced adhesion is attributable to bonding between calcium ions in the enamel surface and phosphonate groups in the VBPA.