Vittorio Cacciafesta

Effect of Light-tip Distance on the Shear Bond Strengths of Composite Resin

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of light-tip distance on the shear bond strength and failure site of brackets cured with three different light curing units: a high-intensity halogen (Astralis 10, 10-second curing), a light-emitting diode (LED, e-Light, six-second curing), and a plasma arc (PAC System, four-second curing). One hundred and thirty-five bovine permanent mandibular incisors were randomly allocated to nine groups of 15 specimens each. Stainless steel brackets were bonded with a composite resin to the teeth, and each curing light was tested at zero, three, and six mm from the bracket. After bonding, all samples were stored in distilled water at room temperature for 24 hours and subsequently tested for shear bond strength. When the three light curing units were compared at a light-tip distance of zero mm, the three lights showed no significantly different shear bond strengths. At light-tip distances of three and six mm, no significant differences were found between the halogen and plasma arc lights, but both lights showed significantly higher shear bond strengths than the LED light. When evaluating the effect of the light-tip distance on each light curing unit, the halogen light showed no significant differences between the three distances. However, the LED light produced significantly lower shear bond strengths at a greater light-tip distance, and the plasma arc lamp showed significantly higher shear bond strengths at a greater light-tip distance. In hard-to-reach areas, the use of PAC system is suggested, whereas the LED evaluated in this study is not recommended.

Shear bond strength of fibre-reinforced composite nets using two different adhesive systems

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of two different adhesive systems (Tetric Flow and Transbond XT) in combination with fibre-reinforced composites (FRC) net (Ever Stick) on the shear bond strength (SBS) of orthodontic brackets. Eighty bovine permanent mandibular incisors were randomly divided into four equal groups. Stainless steel maxillary central incisor brackets with a 0.018 inch slot (DB Leone) were bonded to the teeth using the two different adhesive systems. Fifty per cent of the brackets were bonded without and 50 per cent with a FRC net under the bracket base. After bonding, all samples were stored in distilled water at room temperature for 24 hours and subsequently tested for SBS. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences among the various groups. Brackets bonded with FRC nets under the base showed a significantly lower SBS than those bonded without nets (P < 0.05). Moreover, teeth bonded with Transbond XT showed a significantly higher SBS than the other groups. Additionally, significant differences in debond locations [adhesive remnant index (ARI) score] were found among the various groups. Transbond XT can successfully be used for direct bonding of FRC nets, thus improving their SBS values.