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Tooth whitening effects on bracket bond strength in vivo
The Angle Orthodontist
|June 23, 2009
Summary
Bonding orthodontic brackets to teeth recently treated with in-office whitening gel significantly increases bracket failure rates. Delaying bracket bonding for 2-3 weeks after bleaching improves orthodontic treatment success.
Area of Science:
- Dental Materials Science
- Orthodontic Adhesion
- Tooth Bleaching
Background:
- In-office tooth whitening using 38% hydrogen peroxide is common.
- The effect of bleaching on orthodontic bracket bond strength is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the bracket survival rate on bleached versus unbleached teeth.
- To determine the optimal timing for orthodontic bracket bonding after in-office tooth whitening.
Main Methods:
- A split-mouth design was used with 38 orthodontic patients.
- One arch was bleached with 38% hydrogen peroxide; the other served as a control.
- Brackets were bonded either within 24 hours or 2-3 weeks post-bleaching.
Main Results:
- Bracket failure was significantly higher on bleached teeth (16.6%) compared to unbleached teeth (1.8%) at 180 days.
- Bonding within 24 hours of bleaching led to higher failure rates (14.5%) than bonding after 3 weeks (2.1%).
- Failures on bleached teeth primarily occurred at the enamel/resin interface.
Conclusions:
- The hypothesis of no difference in bracket survival was rejected.
- Immediate bonding after bleaching significantly increases the risk of bond failure.
- A delay of 2-3 weeks is recommended for orthodontic bracket bonding following in-office bleaching.
