Effects of modifying the adhesive composition on the bond strength of orthodontic brackets

In an attempt to save chair time during bonding, metal brackets have been precoated with the adhesive material. Although the adhesive used on the precoated brackets is basically similar in composition to that used for bonding uncoated brackets, there are differences in the percentages of the various ingredients incorporated in the material. These changes are intended to enhance specific clinical properties. The purpose of this study was to determine whether modifications in the composition of the adhesives, used on precoated and uncoated metal brackets, affect their shear bond strengths during the first half hour after bonding. This is the time span when the initial arch wires are ligated. Sixty freshly extracted human molars were bonded with three different compositions of the same basic adhesive. The teeth were mounted in phenolic rings. An occlusogingival load was applied to the brackets producing a shear force at the bracket-tooth interface utilizing a Zwick Universal Test Machine. Analysis of variance was used to compare the three adhesives. Significance was predetermined at < or =.05 level of confidence. The present findings indicated that the shear bond strengths of the various modifications of the adhesive used on two different precoated metal brackets were not significantly different (F-ratio = .729 and P = .407) from those obtained with the conventional adhesive used on uncoated brackets. The mean values for the shear bond strengths of the two precoated brackets were: APC = 5.1+/-1.7 MPa and APC II = 4.9+/-2.1 MPa. The shear bond strength for the conventional adhesive used on the uncoated brackets was = 5.7+/-2.4 MPa. All bracket/adhesive combinations tested provided clinically acceptable shear bond forces within the first 30 minutes after initial bonding.