Effect of orthodontic adhesive thickness on force required by debonding pliers

This in vitro study evaluated the relationship between removal force and the thickness of three orthodontic adhesives, namely, light- and chemical-cured resin cements and a resin-modified glass ionomer cement. The thickness of each adhesive was 50, 100, 150, or 200 µm, and all adhesives were bonded on bovine incisors. Removal force was measured before (TC-0) and after 1,000 thermal cycles (TC-1000), and values were compared. At TC-0, the removal strengths for adhesive thicknesses of 50 and 100 µm were significantly lower than those for thicknesses of 150 and 200 µm (P < 0.05). At TC-1000, removal strengths for adhesive thicknesses of 50 and 100 µm were also significantly lower than those for 150 and 200 µm. Superbond Orthomite specimens showed a significant difference in removal strength between TC-0 and TC-1000 (P < 0.05) at all thicknesses. There was no significant difference in the distribution of adhesive remnant index scores at any thickness. These findings indicate that decreasing the thickness of applied orthodontic adhesive reduces the removal strength required.