Bonding to intact dentin

It has been reported that the presence of a smear layer on dentinal substrates can compromise bonding. Typically, smear layers are removed by acidic agents that selectively extract calcium salts from dentin surfaces to leave a collagen-rich substrate. Acid-conditioned dentin (i.e., demineralized) is then primed and an adhesive agent applied. In the present study, we removed smear layers by ''polishing'' dentin specimens with a hydroxyapatite paste and ultrasonication. Bonding procedures were carried out by means of an aqueous solution of 20% 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phenyl phosphoric acid (phenyl-P) and 30% 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, referred to as 20P-30H, a ''self-etching primer''. The 20P-30H solution was applied to ''intact'' dentin (i.e., non-demineralized) for either 30 or 60 s. Control samples received no application (0 s) of the self-etching primer. Mean tensile bond strengths (10 MPa) were similar in both the 30-second- and 60-second-primed groups. The widths of formed hybrid layers varied from 0.3 +/- 0.2 mu m at 0 s application (control) to 2.1 +/- 0.3 mu m for the 30-second group and 4.1 +/- 0.2 mu m for the 60-second group. SEM and TEM observations revealed that the 20P-30H self-etching primer created diffusion channels into ''intact'', calcium-rich dentin which permitted monomer to infiltrate dentin substrates. Hybrid layers identified under microscopic examination demonstrated resistance to both HCl and NaOCl treatments, suggesting that the hybrid layer was not defective, and that bonding was stable.