Strength of attachment between band and glass ionomer cement

To determine the strength of attachment between plain stainless steel band material and glass ionomer cement.

Seventy-five extracted upper premolars, free of visible structural defects, were used. The teeth were divided randomly into three groups and embedded in acrylic resin blocks. A short length of plain, stainless steel band material with a welded stainless steel standard edgewise 0.022 inch bracket was adapted to the buccal surface of each tooth. The bracket-stainless steel pads were then cemented to the teeth with either Bandtite (Group 1), Granitec (Group 2) or Ariadent (Group 3) glass ionomer cement and stored in an incubator at 37 degrees C for 30 days. The shear bond strengths of the specimens were measured and compared.

The mean shear bond strengths (SBS) were significantly different: Bandtite 0.7331 +/- 0.056 Mpa; Granitec 0.3869 +/- 0.047 Mpa; Ariadent 0.2931 +/- 0.033 Mpa (ANOVA, p < 0.001). Tukey HSD post-hoc tests also showed significant differences between Bandtite and Granitec, Bandtite and Ariadent, and Granitec and Ariadent (p < 0.001). All specimens failed at the band-cement interface.

The highest and lowest SBS were related to Bandtite and Ariadent cements, respectively. All cements had bond strengths less than the range of bond strengths considered to be clinically acceptable for bonded orthodontic attachments. Mechanical factors are important for band retention.