The effect of dentine surface treatment on pulpward pressure transmission during crown cementation: a laboratory study.

Thirty extracted human premolars received standardised full crown preparations. The teeth were randomly assigned into three groups: smeared (control), etched (phosphoric acid gel), and bonded (Scotchbond MP). Each tooth was perfused with saline to establish perfusion rates at baseline for all groups, and the post-etching stage for etched and bonded groups, post-bonding stage for bonded group, and post-cementation stage for all groups. Crowns made with four layers of die-spacing were cemented with zinc phosphate cement at 100N. Pulpal pressures were measured with a pressure transducer. It was concluded that dentine bonding agents may have the potential to reduce pulpal damage caused by pressure transmission from cementation.