Creating super dentin: using flowable composites as luting agents to help prevent secondary caries.

As dental material science and technology rapidly evolve and enable dentists to render more efficient treatment, an old challenge persists--preventing the formation of secondary caries at the restorative margin. Research has indicated that the existence of an acid-base resistant zone (ABRZ), which forms between the adhesive layer and the tooth, may have a preventive effect. The ABRZ is also known as super dentin, and the thickness of this zone is material dependent. Functional monomers such as 10-methacryloyloxyethyl dihydrogen phosphate and materials such as flowable composites used as luting agents may play roles in formation of the ABRZ. This article also includes a case study to illustrate the author's technique in helping to create the ABRZ.