A clinical study of glass ionomer cement

The aim of this investigation was to compare the clinical performance of a glass ionomer cement (GIC) with a composite resin when used for direct bonding of standard edgewise orthodontic brackets. Fourteen patients (10 females, four males), in whom 242 teeth were bonded with brackets, were divided into two groups: GIC (121 teeth) and composite (121 teeth). The brackets were allocated to alternate quadrants and first-time failures were recorded over a period of 24 months. Data were analysed statistically (non-parametric chi-squared test). The results demonstrated a significantly lower unpreviewed debonding index (UDI) (15.7 per cent) for the composite than for the GIC (28.1 per cent) (P = 0.042). The use of heavy archwires was largely responsible for this difference. No difference was observed when light and medium archwires were used. GIC may be a viable alternative to composite for use with light archwires and with limited treatment objectives.