Preventive effect of an orthodontic compomer against enamel demineralization around bonded brackets

ABSTRACT

Orthodontic appliances predispose to the accumulation of plaque due to the great number ofretentive sites, which might lead to enamel demineralization adjacent to the accessories. Aim: Toassess the effectiveness of a compomer for orthodontic bonding in preventing the formation ofwhite spots around orthodontic brackets. Methods: Forty extracted human premolars weredivided into two groups control group (CG), in which conventional resin Transbond™ XT LightCure (3M Unitek™) was used to bond the brackets; and experimental group (EG), in which thecompomer Transbond™ Plus Color Change (3M Unitek™) was used. pH cycling was performedfor 17 days to induce the demineralization process. Enamel on the buccal face was photographedunder a stereomicroscope (at 10x magnification) before (t0) and after (t1) pH cycling. The imageswere used to compare demineralization between the groups by using a visual scale. Results: Astatistically significant difference between control and experimental groups was found (p=0.004)showing that the compomer was more efficient than the conventional resin in preventing whitespots. Conclusions: The compomer Transbond Plus Color Change was capable of inhibitingenamel demineralization adjacent to the bonding area of brackets. However, the inhibition halodid not exceed 1 mm.