How to Search For The Best Adhesive Agent for Dental Restorations
Bonding glue, also known as dental adhesives, plays a critical role in restorative dentistry, allowing dentists to create conservative designs that help to preserve the cavity tissues and create tighter seals between the healthy tissue and restorations. To choose the best adhesives, understanding the advantages and disadvantages of the adhesives you use in your practice can help you choose the right procedures for your patients and provide the best outcomes.
Table 1: Comparison of Prices and Ratings for Dental Adhesives
| Dental Adhesive | Net32 Price | Net32 Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| Scotchbond Universal Adhesive | $96.22 | 5 stars out of 54 Reviews |
| Adper Single Bond 2 | $38.50 | 4 ½ stars out of 85 Reviews |
| OptiBond Solo Plus | $99.00 | 5 stars out of 60 Reviews |
| Clearfil SE Bond | $87.25 | 5 stars out of 67 Reviews |
| iBond Self Etch Dental Adhesive | $181.50 | 5 stars out of 14 Reviews |
Table 2: Comparison of Features of Dental Adhesives
| Dental Adhesive | Type | Uses | Key Ingredients | Additional Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotchbond Universal Adhesive | Universal Adhesive | Direct and indirect bonding procedures, bonding veneers, roof surface desensitization, intraoral repair of indirect restorations | Ethanol and water-based solution, MDP, silane | Removes post-operation sensitivity |
| Adper Single Bond 2 | Total-etch adhesive | Direct light cure restorations, indirect restorations after light curing | Ethanol and water base solution, nano-filler technology | Incorporates a silica filler to prevent clustering |
| OptiBond Solo Plus | Total-etch system | Longer-lasting adhesion, excellent for intraoral repairs of composite and porcelain restorations | 0.4-micron filler at 15% | Reinforces penetrations into the dentin, provides protection against microleakage |
| Clearfil SE Bond | Light-cure bonding system with a water-based primer | Intraoral repairs of composite and porcelain restorations | Water-based primer | Combines treatment of enamel and dentine in one step, doesn’t require shaking or rubbing to activate |
| iBond Self Etch Dental Adhesive | All-in-one adhesive | Etching, priming, and bonding in one step | Quality ingredients | Creates a homogenous layer in the dentine and enamel, delivers reliable bond strength |
Dental adhesives can be classified into these broad categories:
Total-Etch – The total-etch technique takes the primary components, etchant, primer, and bonding, and during the ’80s and ’90s, were separated and individually packaged to be applied in sequence. This process formed high bond strength and gave an average of 25 Mpa, but the process made the product line sensitive and time-consuming for dentists, and thus, simpler forms, where the etching step was removed, were formed to compensate.
Self-Etch – Self-etch primers helped eliminate the etching step, and when self-etch was first developed, the adhesive would bond well with the dentin but not with the enamel. Self-etch strengths range from 18-25MPas, and use these adhesives. Using phosphoric acids in moderation is best recommended to allow the bonding material to adhere to the tooth’s enamel.
Selective-Etch – A sub-category of a Universal, the selective-etch technique combines both the primer and adhesive into one bottle. It works to remove the hydrophobic resin and replace it with a hydrophilic resin to increase water absorption. It aimed to reduce the amount of post-operative sensitivity found with earlier generation adhesives such as the self-etch and total-etch and has a strong range of 20-25 Mpa.
Universal – As a popular choice among dentists, the universal adhesive combines the priming, etchant, and bonding materials and combines them into one bottle for ease of time consumption. Universal adhesives, however, tend to hold a lot of water, which makes them prone to chemical breakdowns and hydrolysis. However, they’re more hydrophilic than many two-step self-etching systems and don’t require any mixing. Its bond strength ranges from 18-25 MPas and is known as the simplest system to date.
All of these terms refer to the technique that dentists can use to work with adhesives. However, the outcome of the restoration can also depend on the curing light used, such as:
Self-cure: A class I auto-polymerizing process that can be used for all kinds of indirect restorations but tends to lack color stability.
Light-cure: A class II curing system that used light as an activation mechanism, highly usable for ceramic restorations, thus less impacting the shade and translucency of the restoration.
Dual cure: A class III curing system combining both the auto-polymerizing effects of class 1 and the light-activation mechanisms of class 2. These combined effects of amine and photo-initiators can be used for color-sensitive restorations.
When choosing a dental adhesive, some factors to take into account are:
- Incidence of post-operative sensitivity
- Bond strength
- Ease of use
- Work-ability
- Compatibility with resin cement systems
1. Scotchbond™ Universal Adhesive by 3M ESPEDne
Net32 Ratings: Five stars out of 54 Reviews
Awards: Top Product Award Winner 2018, Five stars, a 98% clinical rating by Dental Advisor, Best Bonding Agent of 2019 by DentalTown
As one of the top universal adhesives, 3M’s Scotchbond removes the post-operation sensitivity using ethanol and water-based solution, allowing it to be used in direct and indirect bonding procedures. The product also contains MDP and silane, allowing it to be used on metal, silica-based ceramic, and zirconia restorations. The Scotchbond universal adhesive works by scrubbing the liquid into the tooth surface for 20 seconds, air drying for five seconds, and light-curing for 10 seconds. The product’s best used for other procedures such as bonding veneers, roof surface desensitization, and intraoral repair of indirect restorations.
Net32 Price: $96.22
2. Adper Single Bond 2 by 3M ESPE
Net32 Ratings: 4 ½ stars out of 85 Reviews
The Adper Single Bond 2 dental adhesive is a total-etch adhesive that provides maximum control with the help of nano-filler technology ts ethanol and water base solution. The adhesive is light-activated and incorporates a silica filler, making it useful for direct and indirect light cure restorations after light curing. Its five-nanometer particles allow the adhesive not to cluster together, and the nanoparticles help to stabilize the material’s dispersion during use.
Net32 Price: $38.50
3. OptiBond Solo Plus by Kerr Dental
Net32 Ratings: Five Stars out of 60 Reviews
Awards: Townie Choice Awards Best Bonding Agents of 2017 by DentalTown
The Opti-bond brand name standardizes the total-etch system by using a 0.4-micron filler at 15%, which helps reinforce its penetrations into the dentin and create a competitive structural bond with nanofiller bonding systems. The Optibond Solo Plus provides protection against microleakage and decreases the amount of polymerization shrinkage to ensure integrity for the restoration and the patient.
Net32 Price: $99.00
4. Clearfil SE Bond by Kuraray America
Net32 Ratings: Five stars out of 67 Reviews
Clearfil SE Bond is a light-cure bonding system with a water-based primer aimed at reducing the amount of time procedure and enhancing the strength of its sealing properties. The Clearfil SE Bond kit acts in two stages but combines the treatment of enamel and dentine in one step to create a safe, easy-to-use product. The Clearfil SE Bond kit is made for longer-lasting adhesion, doesn’t require any shaking or rubbing to activate, and is known to be excellent for intraoral repairs of composite and porcelain restorations.
Net32 Price: $87.25
5. iBond Self Etch Dental Adhesive by Kulzer
Net32 Ratings: Five stars out of 14 Reviews
The iBond brand by Kulzer all has equally reliable boding adhesion to both enamel and dentine made with quality ingredients. The iBond self-etch kit is an all-in-one adhesive that performs etching, priming, and bonding in one step. The adhesive creates a homogenous layer in the dentine and enamel that delivers reliable bond strength that can easily be identified by a glossy surface along with the tooth, giving dentists an indication of its seal. Compared to other single-step adhesives such as Clearfil S3, Adper Prompt, and Hybrid Bond, the iBond self-etch produces an average shear bond strength of 20-25 MPh for dentine and combined bond strength of 24.0 Mph for both enamel and dentine.
Net 32 Price: $180
