Date of Award
6-1978
Document Type
Open Access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Department
Chemistry
Language
English
Abstract
Nuva-Seal, a bisphenol-A-glycidyl-methacrylate polymer, is applied to the occlusal surface of teeth to prevent tooth decay. Before application of the sealant, the enamel surface is etched for one minute by a 50 percent by weight solution of phosphoric acid containing seven percent by weight of zinc oxide. This treatment renders the tooth surface more porous and surface active to insure a strong bond between tooth and sealant. Past studies at Union College have shown that the etching treatment removes much of the enamel from the tooth. In the current work the amount of tooth removed by acid etching was determined gravimetrically. Seven teeth were etched in vitro using an etchant solution similar to that recommended for use with Nuva-Seal. The total time of etching was one minute. Measurements of the weight losses for each tooth were made after every 20 seconds of acid attack. The maximum amount of etch appears to occur between 20 and 40 seconds of acid etching. The results of an extensive literature search are also included.
Recommended Citation
Komoroski, Judith Ann, "A study of the acid etch pretreatment used with the Nuva-seal" dental process" (1978). Honors Theses. 1864.
https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses/1864
Rights Statement
