In vivo resin-dentin interdiffusion and tag formation with lateral branches of two adhesive systems.

The close contact of the primer and the conditioned dentin is critical in the bonding of resin composites to dentin. In this study two different adhesive primers were tested in vivo with a separate conditioning procedure (Scotchbond Multipurpose) and a self-etching primer (Clearfil Liner Bond 2). The formation of lateral branches of tubule tags was investigated to substantiate the effectiveness of infiltration as a contribution to retention. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the formation of a resin-dentin interdiffusion zone and penetration into the lateral canals of the tubules for both primers. The resin tags with lateral branches were observed primarily at the floor of the class II cavities. In vivo effectiveness of self-etching priming was demonstrated.