Method and composition for adhering to tooth structure

A dental adhesive composition comprising:

• a. from about 5 to about 80 percent by weight of an adhesive component comprising:
• (i) at least 35 percent by weight of a volatile organic solvent component;
• (ii) at least about 5 percent by weight of three polymerizable (meth)acrylate compounds selected from the group consisting of trimethylolpropane tri(meth)acrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and 7,7,9,63,65-hexamethyl-4,13,60,69-tetra-oxo-3,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49,54,59,70-dodecanaoxa-5,12,61,68-tetra-azadoheptacontane-1,72 diyldimethacrylate;
• (iii) an effective amount of a polymerization initiator;
• and
• (iv) optionally a filler component;
• and
• b. from about 20 to about 95 percent by weight of an activator component comprising:
• (i) from about 0.1 to about 10 percent by weight of an aromatic sulfinate salt elected from para-toluene sodium sulfinate, para-toluene lithium sulfinate, benzene lithium sulfinate or mixtures thereof, and
• (ii) from about 90 to about 99.9 percent by weight of an activator component solvent;
• wherein the adhesive component further comprises a multifunctional polymerizable compound having at least three (meth)acrylate moieties and a phosphate moiety;
• wherein said adhesive solvent component is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, dimethyl ketone, ethylmethyl ketone, water, and mixtures thereof;
• wherein said activator component solvents is selected from the group consisting of acetone, ethanol, water, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), methylene chloride, chloroform, and mixtures thereof;
• wherein said initiator is a photoinitiator that is selected from the group consisting of camphorquinone, diaryliodium metal complex salts, chromophore-substituted halomethyl-s-triazines, phosphine oxide, halomethyl oxadiazoles, and mixtures thereof;
• wherein said dental adhesive composition further comprises:
• a fluoride release agent;
• and
• a cure additive selected from the group consisting of self-cure and light cure additives and mixtures thereof, such that said additive promotes cure interactions between the composition and a restorative material.