Nanoleakage
Pronunciation: NAY-noh-LEE-kij
Nanoscale penetration of fluids and tracer agents into the adhesive–dentine interface, particularly within incompletely resin-infiltrated collagen fibrils of the hybrid layer.
Full Definition
Nanoleakage was first described by Sano et al. (1994) to explain bond strength degradation at areas too small to be attributable to conventional microleakage. It manifests as diffusion of silver nitrate tracer within the hybrid layer and adhesive resin, indicating water-filled channels or voids resulting from incomplete monomer infiltration into the demineralised dentinal matrix. Over time, nanoleakage promotes hydrolytic degradation of collagen and resin, reducing bond durability. Editors should ensure that authors distinguish nanoleakage (interfacial, adhesive layer phenomenon) from microleakage (gross interfacial gap leakage) in their discussion sections.
Usage
Usage note: Write as one unhyphenated word: 'nanoleakage'. Authors who conflate nanoleakage with microleakage should be queried; they are distinct phenomena at different scales.
In Context
- "Transmission electron microscopy revealed extensive nanoleakage within the hybrid layer of one-step self-etch adhesives." — Adhesive dentistry research paper
- "The review discussed how nanoleakage contributes to long-term bond strength deterioration in total-etch systems." — Systematic review