Retention of orthodontic bands with three different cements

In 1878, zinc phosphate cement was introduced as a dental material and used to cement orthodontic bands. The prevalence of enamel decalcification beneath orthodontic bands has indicated the need for a fluoride-releasing orthodontic luting cement. The purpose of this study was to compare the retentive bond strengths of orthodontic bands cemented individually with zinc polycarboxylate, glass ionomer and zinc phosphate cement adhesives. Forty-eight extracted human molar teeth were embedded in resin blocks and each was randomly assigned to one of the three cement groups. Adapted bands were cemented by using hand pressure and a band seater. The cemented teeth were then put in synthetic saliva at 37 degrees C for twenty-four hours. The force required to fracture the cement bond was used as a measure of cement retention. Using an Instron universal testing machine, a tensile load was applied to each cemented band. The Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance test revealed no significant differences (p > 0.05) among the retentive strengths of the three cements. Both the zinc polycarboxylate and the glass ionomer cements tested were found to be suitable as orthodontic luting agents. In addition, the ability to bond to enamel and stainless steel and to leach fluoride make the glass ionomer cement an ideal orthodontic cement.