A comparative study of the debonding strengths of different ceramic brackets, enamel conditioners, and adhesives

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of a sharp-edged debonding instrument on four different ceramic brackets with three different bonding materials and two different enamel conditioning techniques. The effectiveness of the debonding instrument was determined by evaluating the following variables: the amount of force required to debond the bracket, the amount of residual adhesive remaining on the enamel surface, the frequency of bracket failure, and the prevalence of any visible enamel damage. The results indicated that the bracket type, the adhesive, as well as the enamel conditioner, all have an effect on bond strengths when using a sharp-bladed debonding instrument. The following conclusions were derived from the present findings: (1) The mean debonding strength values for the different bracket, adhesive, and enamel conditioner combinations ranged between a low of 40 kg/cm2 and a high of 194 kg/cm2. Most debonding values were between 60 and 115 kg/cm2. (2) A number of bracket, adhesive, and conditioner combinations are considered to have clinically adequate bonding strength and are relatively safe (Table IX). (3) The use of polyacrylic crystal growth enamel conditioner resulted in significantly less adhesive being left on the tooth as compared with the phosphoric acid enamel conditioner.