True or False: Acid etching creates a chemical bond.

Acid etching does not create a chemical bond in the context of dental materials. Instead, the process is designed to enhance the mechanical interlocking of dental materials, such as composite resins, to the etched surface.

When an acid is applied to a tooth or dental material, it preferentially removes a thin layer, creating a roughened surface that increases the surface area for bonding. This roughened area allows for better adhesion through micromechanical retention rather than a chemical bond.

While certain bonding agents can form chemical connections with specific substrates, the primary purpose of acid etching is to prepare a surface for mechanical bonding, not to create a direct chemical bond. Consequently, the idea that acid etching itself produces a chemical bond is inaccurate.