Shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets to aged resin composite surfaces: effect of surface conditioning

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of surface conditioning protocols on the shear bond strength (SBS) of metal brackets to aged composite resin surfaces in vitro. Ninety composite resin discs, 6 mm in diameter and 2 mm in height, were prepared and treated with an ageing procedure. After ageing, the specimens were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: (1) control with no surface treatment, (2) 38 per cent phosphoric acid gel, (3) 9.6 per cent hydrofluoric acid gel, (4) airborne aluminium trioxide particle abrasion, (5) sodium bicarbonate particle abrasion, and (6) diamond bur. The metal brackets were bonded to composite surfaces by means of an orthodontic adhesive (Transbond XT). All specimens were stored in water for 1 week at 37°C and then thermocycled (1000 cycles, 5-55°C) prior to SBS testing. SBS values and residual adhesive on the composite surface were evaluated. Analysis of variance showed a significant difference (P = 0.000) between the groups. Group 6 had the highest mean SBS (10.61 MPa), followed by group 4 (10.29 MPa). The results of this study suggest that a clinically acceptable bond strength can be achieved by surface conditioning of aged resin composite via the application of hydrofluoric acid, aluminium trioxide particle abrasion, sodium bicarbonate particle abrasion, or a diamond bur.