Header Logo

Smear Layer

"Smear Layer" is a descriptor in the National Library of Medicine's controlled vocabulary thesaurus, MeSH (Medical Subject Headings). Descriptors are arranged in a hierarchical structure, which enables searching at various levels of specificity.

expand / collapse MeSH information
Adherent debris produced when cutting the enamel or dentin in cavity preparation. It is about 1 micron thick and its composition reflects the underlying dentin, although different quantities and qualities of smear layer can be produced by the various instrumentation techniques. Its function is presumed to be protective, as it lowers dentin permeability. However, it masks the underlying dentin and interferes with attempts to bond dental material to the dentin.


expand / collapse publications
This graph shows the total number of publications written about "Smear Layer" by people in this website by year, and whether "Smear Layer" was a major or minor topic of these publications.
To see the data from this visualization as text, click here.

© 2024 Kaiser Permanente