A new surface treatment for bonding.

Bonding resins to enamel requires some form of mechanical attachment. Currently the dissolution of the outermost enamel layer is involved in etching with phosphoric acid. A new approach to mechanical bonding is described using a crystalline interface which itself bonds chemically to enamel. The crystals can be removed from the enamel with an ultrasonci or sickle-scaler followed by pumice prophylaxis. Many variations of the crystal growth principle may be visualized, including the development of fluoride-containing crystals.