OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of acetone or water based Gluma primers on bonding efficacy when applied to acid-etched wet, dry or rewetted dentin. METHODS Shear bond strength (SBS, 24 hours) was measured on human dentin etched with 20% phosphoric acid gel and rinsed with water in the wet (blot dried), the conventional (2 seconds air blast), the dry (10 seconds air drying), and the rewetted stage (10 seconds air drying, remoistening and blot drying). The priming solution was either the original water based or an acetone based experimental Gluma primer. Cavity sealing performance and depth of resin impregnation were determined by solvent and by technique along the margins of 4.5 mm wide cylindrical dentin cavities with 90 degree cavosurface angle. RESULTS The SBSs of the wet technique groups were approximately 18 MPa, irrespective of the primer solvent. Conventional drying gave an SBS almost as high (16.5 MPa). Rewetting was highly effective with acetone as the primer solvent. The dry techniques resulted in moderate (water) and poor (acetone) bond strengths. The cavity margins of acetone based primer treated specimens were consistently gap free with the wet technique. The other seven groups showed between two and six gaps in each group of six specimens. The resin impregnated layer (RIL) thicknesses were 12.5 microns approximately in the wet groups, and thus identical with the total depth of demineralization resulting from the 30-second etching. The alternative techniques showed significantly thinner RILs particularly in the dry groups (7.5 microns).