Comparative Evaluation of Four Office Reconditioning Methods For Orthodontic Stainless Steel Brackets On Shear Bond Strength - An In Vitro Study.

ABSTRACT

An invitro study was conducted to determine a simple and effective method for reconditioning stainless steel orthodontic brackets in the orthodontic office. In total, 120 new brackets were direct bonded using light cure composite to extracted human premolar teeth, then debonded and the shear bond strength recorded as a control for the reconditioning process. The debonded brackets were divided into four groups containing 30 brackets each and each group reconditioned using different techniques as follows (1) roughened with green stone, (2) direct flamed, (3) flamed followed by ultrasonically cleaned, (4) sandblasted. After reconditioning, the brackets were then rebonded to the premolar teeth after the enamel surfaces had been re-prepared, and their bond strengths measured. The results showed that bracket reconditioned by sandblasting had the highest mean shear bond strength among the reconditioning methods tested, indicated that sandblasting was the most effective in removing composite. Brackets that had only been roughened with green stone and direct flamed had the lowest bond strength, followed by that had been flamed followed by ultrasonic cleaning.