The influence of different bracket base surfaces on tensile and shear bond strength

Fracture of the bracket-cement-enamel system usually takes place between the bracket and the cement. Especially for glass ionomer-based materials, it is helpful if this part of the system can be improved. The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate the influence of different bracket base pre-treatments in relation to three different cements, Transbond XT, a resin composite, Fuji Ortho LC, a resin-modified glass ionomer cement (GIC), and Fuji IX Fast, a conventional glass ionomer cement, on shear as well as on the tensile bond strength. Upper incisor brackets with three types of base treatment, sandblasted, silicoated, and tin-plated, were bonded to bovine enamel. Untreated brackets were used as the controls. Ten specimens were tested for each group. The brackets were stored for 24 hours after bonding and tested in shear as well as in tensile mode. After fracture the remaining adhesive was scored using the adhesive remnant index (ARI). Analysis of variance was used to detect statistical differences between the bond strengths at a level of P < 0.05. Although some of the bracket pre-treatments had a statistically significant effect on bond strength, no clear improvement was measured. The ARI scores of the test groups did not show a change when compared with the control groups. The investigated base pre-treatments did not have such a beneficial influence on bond strength that improved clinical results can be expected. Improvement of the bond between bracket and cement might be found in other variables of the bracket-cement-enamel system such as the elasticity of the materials.