COMPARISON OF SHEAR BOND STRENGTH OF CERAMIC BRACKETS BONDED TO ENAMEL PREPARED WITH CONVENTIONAL ACID- ETCHING AND SELF–ETCHING PRIMER BONDING SYSTEMS

Objectives: To compare the mean shear bond strength of ceramic brackets bonded to enamel prepared with conventional acid-etching and self-etching primer.
Methods: A total of 50 extracted teeth (25 in each group) were included in this study. In Group-1, Etching gel containing 35% phosphoric acid (3M Unitek) was applied while in Group-2, Transbond plus self etching primer (3M Unitek) was applied.
Results: Comparison of mean shear bond strength of conventional acid etching and self-etching primer showed 33.26±8.27 and 25.18±7.74, respectively. Difference between two groups was statistically significant (P=0.001).
Conclusions: In conclusion, the mean shear bond strength in both groups was clinically acceptable. But the bond strength of ceramic brackets using self-etching primer for conditioning enamel before bonding was found significantly less than that of ceramic brackets bonded using conventional acid etching (25.18±7.74 vs 33.26±8.27 MPs).