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Published on: July 10, 2014
Development of a novel bioactive glass for air-abrasion to selectively remove orthodontic adhesives
Ayam A Taha1,2, Robert G Hill3, Padhraig S Fleming4
1Dental Physical Sciences, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK. a.a.h.taha@qmul.ac.uk.
Objectives:
To develop a novel, bioactive glass for removing residual orthodontic adhesive via air-abrasion, following bracket debonding, and to evaluate its effectiveness against a proprietary bioactive glass 45S5(Sylc™)-air-abrasion, and a slow-speed tungsten carbide (TC) bur.
Materials And Methods:
Three glasses were prepared and their bioactivity was proved. One novel glass (QMAT3) was selected due to its appropriate hardness, lower than that of enamel/45S5(Sylc™). Sixty extracted human premolars were randomly assigned to adhesive removal using: (a) QMAT3-air-abrasion, (b) 45S5(Sylc™)-air-abrasion, and (c) TC bur, which were further subdivided (n = 10) based on the adhesive used (Transbond XT™ or Fuji Ortho LC™). Enamel roughness was assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and non-contact profilometry before bracket bonding, after removing residual adhesive following bracket debonding and after polishing.
Results:
QMAT3 formed apatite faster (6 h) than 45S5(Sylc™) (24 h) in Tris solution. QMAT3-air-abrasion gave the lowest enamel roughness (Ra) after removing the adhesives. SEM images showed a pitted, roughened enamel surface in the TC bur group and to a lesser extent with 45S5(Sylc™), while a virtually smooth surface without any damage was observed in the QMAT3-air-abrasion group. The time taken for adhesive removal with QMAT3 was comparable to 45S5(Sylc™) but was twice as long with the TC bur.
Conclusions:
QMAT3-air-abrasion is a promising technique for selective removal of adhesives without inducing tangible enamel damage.
Clinical Relevance:
A novel bioactive glass has been developed as an alternative to the use of TC burs for orthodontic adhesive removal.
