Porcelain color alteration after orthodontic bonding using three different surface preparation methods.

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Orthodontic Materials Research
• Surface Chemistry in Dentistry

Background:

• Increasing demand for adult orthodontic treatment necessitates bonding brackets to non-enamel surfaces.
• Porcelain restorations are common in adult patients seeking orthodontic care.
• Assessing porcelain color alteration after bracket bonding is crucial for aesthetics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of three distinct surface preparation methods on porcelain color alteration following orthodontic bracket bonding.
• To compare the efficacy of hydrofluoric acid/silane, sandblasting, and combined methods in preventing color changes.

Main Methods:

• An in vitro study involving 45 porcelain discs, with initial color assessment using the Commission Internationale de I'Eclairage (CIE) L* a* b* system.
• Specimens were divided into three groups (n=15) for surface preparation: 9.6% hydrofluoric acid (HF) + silane, sandblasting, or sandblasting + HF + silane.
• Brackets were bonded, debonded after 24-hour water storage, and porcelain surfaces re-evaluated for color change (ΔE), with ΔE = 3.7 as the acceptability threshold.

Main Results:

• Orthodontic bonding significantly altered porcelain color parameters (L*, a*, b*).
• Mean ΔE values across all groups were below the clinically acceptable threshold of 3.7.
• No statistically significant difference in ΔE values was observed between the three surface preparation groups (P = 0.456).

Conclusions:

• Orthodontic bracket bonding alters porcelain CIE color parameters, but the changes are clinically acceptable.
• The surface preparation methods evaluated (HF/silane, sandblasting, combined) do not significantly influence the degree of porcelain color alteration.