A 13C NMR study on the adsorption characteristics of HEMA to dentinal collagen.

To develop a more effective primer, we must understand how 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate, the HEMA primer, enhances bonding at the resin-dentin interface. In this study, to obtain an insight into the adhesion mechanisms of adhesive resin to etched dentin through HEMA, we examined the adsorption characteristics of HEMA to dentinal collagen by using the 13C NMR technique. The addition of dentinal collagen to the HEMA solution resulted in a decrease in T(1) values of carbons attributed to the HEMA, thus reflecting an interaction between HEMA and collagen. Specifically, a reduction in the T(1) value in the ester carbonyl carbon attributed to HEMA greater than that in the other carbons suggested the formation of a hydrogen bond between the ester carbonyl group in HEMA and the dentinal collagen.