HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Perdigão, J. Articles by Hodges, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Perdigão, J. Articles by Hodges, J.

First, we would like to thank Dr. Featherstone for his candid comments. It has been common knowledge since the early 1990s among updated dental researchers and clinicians that the terms "total-etch" or "all-etch" mean simultaneous etching^1,2 of enamel and dentin with phosphoric acid (in the past, other acids have been used as well). It is also common knowledge that "self-etching" means the application of an acidic primer to enamel and dentin without rinsing. To explain the meanings of these terms, and how the etching gel is applied, in an article published in 2003 would be redundant, to say the least.

Regarding Dr. Featherstone’s comment, "The Figure F photo on page 1624 shows only enamel etched, not dentin." Unfortunately, a photograph is not a dynamic image—we cannot publish video files to show how the acid is applied first to enamel, and then to dentin.

Dr. Featherstone states, "the second statement implies, but does not state clearly, that etchant was used on enamel and dentin." Again, it is common knowledge that "total-etch" means application of the etchant to enamel and dentin.

Regarding Dr. Featherstone’s comment, "Nowhere in the study is there a clear statement that total etching was used on the dentin before Prime & Bond NT. If this is the case, the comparison between ‘total-etch’ adhesives and self-etching adhesives is rendered useless": a total-etch adhesive, as its name indicates, uses a total-etch technique.

We are avid readers of the CRA Newsletter, and praise the work of Dr. Gordon Christensen and co-workers. However, one cannot compare a survey with a controlled clinical study. While there is merit for both, it is like comparing apples and oranges.

In that survey,³ dentists reported patients who complained of sensitivity versus patients who did not complain of sensitivity (it might have included patients who did not come back to the same practice for further treatment). Our clinical study evaluated sensitivity with continuous measurements on a scale from 0 to 10. Not better, not worse, simply different.

	REFERENCES

TOP REFERENCES

1. Kanca J 3rd. One-year evaluation of a dentin-enamel bonding system. J Esthet Dent 1990;2(4):100–3.[Medline]
   
   
2. Kanca J 3rd. A method for bonding to tooth structure using phosphoric acid as a dentin-enamel conditioner. Quintessence Int 1991; 22(4):285–90.[Medline]
   
   
3. CRA Newsletter. Self-etch primer (SEP) adhesives update. November/December 2003;27(1112):1.
   
   

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Perdigão, J. Articles by Hodges, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Perdigão, J. Articles by Hodges, J.