Self-etching primer and a non-rinse conditioner versus phosphoric acid: alternative methods for bonding brackets

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Orthodontic Adhesion

Background:

• Traditional orthodontic bracket bonding relies on the acid-etch technique.
• Alternative methods like self-etching primers and non-rinse conditioners aim to simplify the procedure and potentially reduce enamel damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of Transbond Plus Self Etching Primer (TSEP) and a Non-Rinse Conditioner (NRC) against the conventional acid-etch technique for orthodontic bracket bonding.
• To evaluate shear bond strength (SBS) and quantify residual adhesive after debonding.

Main Methods:

• Extracted premolars were bonded using Transbond XT adhesive with three conditioning protocols: 37% phosphoric acid, TSEP, or NRC.
• Shear bond strength was measured using a universal testing machine.
• Residual adhesive and enamel surface morphology were analyzed using image analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Main Results:

• No significant differences in shear bond strength were found among the three groups.
• Both TSEP and NRC resulted in significantly less residual adhesive compared to the acid-etch technique.
• NRC left significantly less adhesive than TSEP, and SEM revealed NRC had a less aggressive etch pattern than TSEP.

Conclusions:

• Self-etching primers and non-rinse conditioners are effective alternatives to the traditional acid-etch technique for orthodontic bracket bonding.
• TSEP and NRC offer advantages in reducing adhesive remnants, with NRC being particularly effective in this regard.
• The etching characteristics of TSEP are comparable to phosphoric acid, while NRC provides a milder enamel surface treatment.