Direct bonding of orthodontic brackets to esthetic restorative materials using a silane

Along with adult orthodontics comes a concern for direct-bonding techniques with esthetic anterior restorative materials. Two such materials available today are porcelain and a heat-cured composite resin. The ability to bond orthodontic brackets to these materials was tested with a normal direct-bonding technique. In addition, silane was used to theoretically enhance the bond to porcelain and the glass component of the composite. A normal acid-etch procedure to enamel served as a comparison. Bonding equivalent to the enamel acid-etch procedure was achieved with the heat-cured composite, whether silane was used or not. Silane enhanced the bond to porcelain, but the bond might not be adequate for clinical effectiveness.