ABSTRACT
Abstract Dentin bond strength testing remains a subject of high interest based on the prevalence of studies reported in the dental literature. But making general conclusions about materials or methods by comparing results from different studies can be a dubious proposition due to the many variables involved in testing. Though guidelines exist for bond testing, they unfortunately are not always followed by all researchers. This threepart manuscript was written to help navigate the prolific literature in this field of study. In the first part, the most popular testing modes are described by providing an analysis of their loading mechanics and stress distributions. In the second part, a review of the test variables that may influence outcomes of bond strength testing are presented for the different test methods, and the extent to which each affects the results is discussed. Data collected from thirty studies published within the past five years for one specific adhesive are used to emphasize the nature and extent of these effects. In the third part, studies that included specific brands of resin dentin bonding agents that represent the current most popular types are reviewed in an attempt to make general statements about how the brands compare to one another within the different test methods. While it is difficult at this time to provide a simple consensus opinion about how bond strength testing should be conducted, this paper attempts to clarify some of the important issues in this popular, but complex, field.
