Research progress on tetrabutylammonium dihydrogen trifluoride as a substitute for hydrofluoric acid used for porcelain surface treatment

Hydrofluoric acid is a common surface treatment agent for glass ceramic restorations before bonding. However, the use of hydrofluoric acid has a high safety risk, so the search for hydrofluoric acid substitutes has been a research hotspot. Tetrabutylammonium dihydrogen trifluoride is a kind of fluoride, whose chemical activity is lower than that of hydrofluoric acid, so it’s safer, and the surface morphology changes on glass ceramics caused by it are smaller and more superficial. At present, the vast majority of laboratory studies and clinical case reports indicate that the mechanical strength and bonding strength of glass ceramics treated with tetrabutylammonium dihydrogen trifluoride can meet the clinical requirements. In the future, according to the research results, the performance of porcelain surface treatment agents containing tetrabutylammonium dihydrogen trifluoride can be further improved, and more hydrofluoric acid substitutes may be developed. In this review, the research progress of tetrabutylammonium dihydrogen trifluoride as a substitute for hydrofluoric acid is reviewed in terms of the influence of the surface morphology, mechanical strength, and bonding strength of glass ceramics.