Implications of the failure rates of bonded brackets and eyelets: a clinical study

A clinical study of the rate of failure of bonded brackets and eyelets on primary molars was undertaken. Two groups of patients (one bonded contralaterally and the other at random) were studied for 12 to 17 months. The data support the hypothesis that one major cause of bond failure is the force of occlusion during mastication. On the basis of this finding, several clinical applications are suggested. These include rotation of second premolars, closure of extraction spaces, and the management of limited treatment of lower incisors in the presence of deep, traumatic overbite.