Bonding to porcelain and gold

To test the effectiveness of bonding orthodontic attachments to porcelain, edgewise brackets were bonded to 160 lower incisor, porcelain denture teeth by means of two different resin systems and three different porcelain bonding agents. Bonding to porcelain was found to be not only effective, but the use of a porcelain primer before bonding resulted in shear strengths comparable to those achieved with conventional acid-etch enamel bonding when the same resin was used. Roughening the porcelain surface and bonding with a heavily filled resin without a porcelain primer provided shear strengths (30.6 lbs) comparable to conventional acid-etch enamel bonding with a lightly filled resin (28.8 lbs). Roughening the porcelain surface before bonding, adding porcelain primers, and using highly filled resins all added significantly to bond strength, but caused a progressively greater risk of porcelain fracture during debonding. One of three methods to polish porcelain completely restored a roughened porcelain surface to its former appearance. The porcelain bonding primers failed to provide a significant increase in bond strength when bonding to gold. However, a roughened gold surface bonded with a heavily filled resin provided shear strengths (27.3 lbs). comparable to conventional acid-etch enamel bonding by means of a lightly filled resin (28.8 lbs). The use of a highly filled resin on an intact, glazed porcelain surface without using a porcelain primer may provide sufficient bond strength clinically. If more bond strength is needed, the use of Reliance porcelain primer on an intact glaze is preferable to Ormco porcelain primer or Fusion. Still greater bond strength can be developed by roughening the porcelain surface before application of a primer and use of a highly filled resin. The potential for porcelain fracture in debonding, however, is much increased and it is questionable whether bond strengths of this magnitude are required clinically.