Adhesion

DR. AHMED MAGDY SAYED

LECTURER OF DENTAL BIOMATERIALS

DR AHMED MAGDY
Definitions
Cohesion
It is the bonding between similar materials.
Examples of cohesion:
Bonding between two pieces of pure gold under pressure. It results
from metallic bond and called pressure welding.

DR AHMED MAGDY
Definitions

DR AHMED MAGDY
Definitions
Adhesion:
It is the bonding between two dissimilar materials as a result of the
attraction between their atoms, ions or molecules.
Examples of adhesion:
Denture retention with soft tissues due to presence of thin film of
saliva.

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Definitions
Adhesive:
It is a liquid material used to produce adhesion

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Definitions
Adherend (substrate):
It is the substance to which the adhesive is applied.

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To produce adhesion, intimate contact between adhesive and
adherend should be achieved.

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Types of Adhesion:
Adhesion

Mechanical
True adhesion
interlocking

Macro- Micro-
mechanical mechanical

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Types of Adhesion:
1. True adhesion:

Caused by primary bond.

Example:

Bonding of glass ionomer cement, zinc polycarboxylate cement and

adhesive resin cement to tooth structure.

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Types of Adhesion:
1. True adhesion:

Glass ionomer cement, zinc polycarboxylate cement have COOH

group that bonds chemically with tooth structure
COO-
COO-

Ca++
Tooth structure
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Types of Adhesion:
1. True adhesion:

Adhesive resin cement have active groups such as MDP and 4-META
that bond chemically with tooth structure

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Types of Adhesion:
2. Mechanical interlocking:

a) Macro-mechanical interlocking:

It occurs by performing undercut inside the tooth structure.

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Types of Adhesion:
2. Mechanical interlocking:

a) Macro-mechanical interlocking:

Example: amalgam restoration.

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Types of Adhesion:
2. Mechanical interlocking:

b) Micro-mechanical interlocking:

It occurs as a liquid flows into pores of solid surface, then the liquid is
hardened.

The liquid is attached to the solid surface and the bond may be strong.

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Types of Adhesion:
2. Mechanical interlocking:

b) Micro-mechanical interlocking:

Example:

Resin composite.

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Wetting
 It is the ability of the liquid to spread over a solid surface.

 It is measured by contact angle (smaller contact angle  higher

wetting)

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Wetting
Contact angle (θ):

It is the angel between the surface of the liquid and the surface of
the solid.

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wetting
Factors affecting wetting:
1. Surface energy of solid surface (adherend or substrate).
2. Surface tension of adhesive.
3. Surface irregularities if the adherend.
4. Viscosity of the adhesive.

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Wetting
1. Surface energy:
 It is the attraction force between the surface atoms of a solid.
 ↑ Surface energy  ↑ wetting

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Wetting
1. Surface energy:
 It is the attraction force between
the surface atoms of a solid.

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Wetting
1. Surface energy:

Examples:

a. Metals have high surface energy than

waxes  water spreads easily over
metals more than wax.

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Wetting
1. Surface energy:
Examples:
b. Teflon in non-stick cooking utensils
has low surface energy

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Wetting
2. Surface tension:
It is the attraction force between the surface atoms of a liquid.

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Wetting
2. Surface tension:
↑ Surface tension  ↓ wetting
High surface tension Low surface tension

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Wetting
2. Surface tension:
Examples:
a. Mercury has high surface tension. Therefore, it forms droplets
rather than spreads over solid surfaces.

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Wetting
2. Surface tension:

Examples:

b. Surfactant (surface active agent, wetting

agent) reduces surface tension of liquids
 ↑ wetting.

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Wetting
2. Surface tension:
Examples:
b. Surfactant (surface active
agent, wetting agent) reduces
surface tension of liquids 
↑ wetting.

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Wetting
3. Surface irregularities of the adherend:

 Shallow and regular surface irregularities provides mechanical

interlocking with the adhesive  good wetting.

 Deep and narrow surface irregularities form air pockets which

prevent wetting of the adherend with adhesive  poor
wetting.

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Wetting
3. Surface irregularities of the adherend:
Surface irregularities is a double edged weapon?

Air Pockets  no intimate contact

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Wetting
4. Viscosity of the adhesive:

 Increase flow of the adhesive results in easily penetration of the

surface irregularities.

 ↑ Viscosity  ↓ Wetting.

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Wetting
Importance of wetting in dentistry:
1. Denture retention (denture should be wetted by saliva).

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Wetting
Importance of wetting in dentistry:
2. Natural appearance of esthetics restorations. (simulate natural
teeth).

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Wetting
Importance of wetting in dentistry:
3. Wetting of wax pattern produce smooth surface (apply wetting
agent or debubblizer)

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Wetting and Adhesion
Good wetting is required for good adhesion

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Factors affecting strength of adhesive
bond
1. Wetting
2. Stresses due to setting contraction of adhesive
3. Thermal stresses
4. The Thickness of Adhesive Junction
5. Type of bond formed
6. Cleanliness of the adherend surface

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Factors affecting strength of adhesive
bond
1. Wetting

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Factors affecting strength of adhesive
bond
2. Stresses due to setting contraction of
adhesive:

 Most liquid adhesives undergo contraction

when they hardened, so there are stresses at
the interface.

 Less contraction of adhesive  stronger

adhesive junction.
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Factors affecting strength of adhesive
bond
3. Thermal Stresses:

 The adhesive and adhered differ in coefficient of the thermal

expansion and contraction (α).

 The change of temperature creates stresses at the interface.

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Factors affecting strength of adhesive
bond
3. Thermal Stresses:

 The great the difference in coefficient of

the thermal expansion and contraction
 the great the thermal stresses.

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Factors affecting strength of adhesive
bond
4. The Thickness of Adhesive Junction:
 The thinner the adhesive film, the stronger the adhesive junction
due to:
1. More intimate contact between adherend surfaces.
2. Less stresses due to contraction.
3. Less thermal stresses.
4. Less air bubbles in the adhesive layer

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Factors affecting strength of adhesive
bond
5. Type of The formed Bond:

 Adhesion by primary bond is stronger than adhesion by

secondary bond

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Factors affecting strength of adhesive
bond
6. Cleanliness of the adherend
surface:

 Any surface debris or moisture

prevents intimate contact
between adherend and
adhesive  weaker bond

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Factors affecting strength of adhesive
bond
Adherend and
Adherend Adhesive
adhesive
1. High surface 1. Low surface 1. Close matching in
energy. tension. α.
2. Proper surface 2. Low viscosity. 2. Formation of
irregularities. primary bond.
3. Clean surface. 3. Low setting
contraction.
4. Thin film thickness.
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Types of adhesion Failure:
Under tension, failure in adhesion junction may be:
1. Failure of adhesive bond.  Adhesive failure
2. Failure of the adhesive.  Cohesive failure
3. Failure of adherend.  Cohesive failure

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Types of adhesion Failure:
Under tension, failure in adhesion junction may be:
1. Failure of adhesive bond.  Adhesive failure
2. Failure of the adhesive.  Cohesive failure
3. Failure of adherend.  Cohesive failure

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Importance of adhesion in dentistry:
1. Decrease marginal leakage between restoration and cavity walls.
2. Prevention of tooth decay by sealing pits and fissures.
3. Complete denture retention through thin film of saliva.
4. Bonding agents.
5. Soldering operation.
6. Ceramo-metallic restoration.

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Obstacles for adhesion to tooth
structure:
1. The heterogeneous composition of enamel
and dentine.

 Enamel and dentine are formed from

organic and inorganic components.

 Enamel differs from dentine in

composition.

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Obstacles for adhesion to tooth
structure:
Components Enamel Dentine
Inorganic phase (mainly
94–96 50–70
hydroxyapatite) (%)
Calcium phosphate ratio 1.64 1.56
Organic phase (mainly collagen ) (%) 4–5 20–30
Water (%) 1–4 10–20

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Obstacles for adhesion to tooth
structure:
2. Surface irregularities in the prepared cavity:

 The irregularities of the prepared cavity are not uniform in

dimensions.

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Obstacles for adhesion to tooth
structure:
3. Debris in the prepared cavity:

 Smear layer is formed from tooth and

bacterial debris and covers dentine surface

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Obstacles for adhesion to tooth
structure:
4. Presence of water in the prepared cavity:

 The dentinal tubules leach out water

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Bonding to tooth structure
Adhesion

True adhesion Mechanical

(chemical bond) interlocking

Macro- Micro-
mechanical mechanical

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Bonding to tooth structure
Micro-mechanical interlocking:

 Used with composite resin filling material.

 It is called acid etching technique.

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Bonding to tooth structure
1. Bonding to enamel.
a. Acid etching.
b. Adhesive application
2. Bonding to dentine.
a. Acid conditioning.
b. Primer application.
c. Adhesive application.

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Bonding to tooth structure
1. Bonding to enamel:

a. Acid etching by applying 37% phosphoric acid for 15 to 30

seconds.

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Bonding to tooth structure
1. Bonding to enamel:
Importance of acid etching:
1. Increase surface energy of the enamel.
2. Cleaning enamel surface by removing of surface debris.
3. Increased surface area of the exposed enamel to the resin.
4. Forming micro-pores that penetrated by adhesive to form resin
tags.

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Bonding to tooth structure
1. Bonding to enamel:

b. Adhesive (bonding agent) application  fulfill the micro-

pores.

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Bonding to tooth structure
2. Bonding to Dentine:

a. Acid conditioning (mild acid for less time than enamel).

i. Remove smear layer.

ii. Demineralize dentine  Collapse dentinal tubules

decrease surface energy.

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Bonding to tooth structure
2. Bonding to Dentine:

b. Primer application:

It is a molecule with two functional groups:

i. Hydrophilic group: interact with moist dentine  reopen

collapsed dentinal tubules  increase surface energy.

ii. Hydrophobic group: interact with adhesive.

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Bonding to tooth structure
2. Bonding to Dentine:

c. Adhesive (bonding agent) application:

It bonds primer and composite resin.

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Bonding to tooth structure
Newer generations of adhesive systems had been evolved with
different techniques.

DR AHMED MAGDY
Thank You

DR AHMED MAGDY