23 January 2019

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Is polymerization able to improve adhesive dentistry?

Lorenzo Breschi

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In the era of minimally invasive interventions, adhesive dentistry significantly revolutionized the clinical practice of most dentists, allowing dental procedures that were considered unimaginable in the past without creating a retentive cavity and sacrificing sound dental structure. However, resin-based materials achieve their final properties after the end of the curing procedures that allow the setting of the polymer.
A failure of the adhesive restorations could be a consequence of inadequate polymerization of the material due to several intrinsic and extrinsic factors.  
The review from the research group on Prof. Milena Cadenaro et al. analyzed the aspects able to affect the final curing of the material and state that photopolymerization is a clinical procedure that has several implications and is more complex than it seems.

Curing efficiency is proved to be dependent on:

• the characteristics of the material and the molecules included in the formulation; 
• the operator technique; 
• the quality of the light curing unit. 

Accurate evaporation of the solvents may improve the polymerization of adhesive system as well as a prolonged curing time may increase the performance and stability of adhesive systems. Furthermore, the effect on curing reaction of molecules added to adhesive formulations to counteract the degradation of the adhesive interface over time has to be clarified.

CONCLUSIONS
The authors conclude that adequate polymerization of adhesive resins has been clearly correlated with the longevity of the adhesive restorations and is strongly influenced by the degree of conversion of the bonding system. Finally, as several factors may interfere with polymerization reaction, a meticulous observance of the adhesive application and the curing protocol is necessary to guarantee optimal properties of the material.   

For additional informations: 
The role of polymerization in adhesive dentistry