Effect of a silica-containing etchant on shear bond strength to dentin.

The viscosity of phosphoric acid etchants for enamel and dentin may be increased by the addition of silica. This in vitro study investigated the effect of a silica-containing 10% phosphoric acid gel on the bond strength of composite resin to dentin as compared to a 10% phosphoric acid gel without silica, using 20 extracted human molars. The results indicated that the etchant containing submicron silica provided higher bond strengths than the etchant without a silica constituent. The learning objective of this article is to provide the findings of the study for the clinicians.