After acid etching, which step is commonly performed to enhance bonding?

After acid etching, which step is commonly performed to enhance bonding?

• A. Wedges
• B. Shade guide
• C. Composite compule
• D. Bonding agent

Answer: (D)

Etching roughens the tooth surface to create mechanical locking for the resin. To turn that roughness into a durable bond, the next step is applying a bonding agent. The bonding agent infiltrates the etched enamel and dentin, forming a thin resin layer (and, in dentin, resin tags within the tubules and a hybrid layer) that couples the resin composite to the tooth. After etching, rinse and blot dry to a suitable moisture level, apply the bonding agent in a thin layer, and light-cure as directed. Wedges, shade matching, and the composite delivery tube serve other purposes (onto separation of teeth, color selection, and placement of composite, respectively) and do not specifically enhance bonding after etching.

Etching roughens the tooth surface to create mechanical locking for the resin. To turn that roughness into a durable bond, the next step is applying a bonding agent. The bonding agent infiltrates the etched enamel and dentin, forming a thin resin layer (and, in dentin, resin tags within the tubules and a hybrid layer) that couples the resin composite to the tooth. After etching, rinse and blot dry to a suitable moisture level, apply the bonding agent in a thin layer, and light-cure as directed. Wedges, shade matching, and the composite delivery tube serve other purposes (onto separation of teeth, color selection, and placement of composite, respectively) and do not specifically enhance bonding after etching.