Dental Adhesives

In order for an adhesive to bond to the tooth, the surfaces must be roughened using a process called “etching.” There are three different types of etching:

Total Etch – Both enamel and dentin are etched using phosphoric acid.
Selective Etch – Only the enamel is etched with phosphoric acid.
Self-Etch – The etchant, or etching chemical, is contained in the adhesive and no phosphoric acid is used.

The method used depends on the particular clinical situation. Unlike other adhesives, universal adhesives can deliver good bonding regardless of etch technique, while virtually eliminating post-op sensitivity.