Evaluation of shear bond strength of metallic and ceramic brackets bonded to enamel prepared with self-etching primer

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the shear bond strength (SBS) of different metallic and ceramic bracket bonding combinations using self-etching primers (SEPs). Eighty freshly extracted human premolar teeth were randomly divided into four equal groups for bonding with ceramic or metallic brackets as follows: group 1, metallic brackets bonded with conventional acid etching; group 2, metallic brackets bonded with Transbond Plus Self-Etching primer (TPSEP); group 3, ceramic brackets bonded as per group 1; group 4, ceramic brackets bonded as per group 2. The SBS of these brackets was measured and recorded in megapascals (MPa). The adhesive remnant index (ARI) scores were determined after bracket failure. Data were analyzed with the analysis of variance, Tukey, and chi-square tests. The bond strength of group 3 (mean: 36.7 +/- 11.8 MPa) was significantly higher than group 4 (mean: 26.6 +/- 8.9 MPa; P < 0.05), group 1 (mean: 25.5 +/- 5.1 MPa; P < 0.01), and group 2 (mean: 22.9 +/- 7.3 MPa; P < 0.001). No significant differences in debond locations were found among the groups (P > 0.05). Compared with conventional acid etching, SEPs significantly decreased the SBS of ceramic orthodontic brackets.