Compomers: adhesion and setting reactions.

The term compomer is misleading as it suggests a combination of glass-ionomer and composite technology. This has led to confusion as to its clinical uses as well as the way it bonds to tooth structure. However, the properties and adhesion of compomers to tooth structure suggest a closer link to composites than to glass-ionomers. The clinical significance of this is that compomers lack direct chemical adhesion to any tooth structure and therefore needs to be bonded to tooth structure similar to composites via a separate bonding agent. Their closeness to composites however, does not make them composite substitutes or replacements. Dentists should strictly follow instructions by the manufacturers because failure of materials can mostly be blamed on the clinician rather than on the material.