RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to compare the shear bond strength (SBS) of orthodontic brackets bonded with 4 self-etching adhesives. METHODS: A total of 175 extracted premolars were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 35). Group I was the control, in which the enamel was etched with 37% phosphoric acid, and stainless steel brackets were bonded with Transbond XT (3M Unitek, Monrovia, Calif). In the remaining 4 groups, the enamel was conditioned with the following self-etching primers and adhesives: group II, Transbond Plus and Transbond XT (3M Unitek); group III, Clearfil Mega Bond FA and Kurasper F (Kuraray Medical, Tokyo, Japan); group IV, Primers A and B, and BeautyOrtho Bond (Shofu, Kyoto, Japan); and group V, AdheSE and Heliosit Orthodontic (Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Liechtenstein). The teeth were stored in distilled water at 37 degrees C for 24 hours and debonded with a universal testing machine. The adhesive remnant index (ARI) including enamel fracture score was also evaluated. Additionally, the conditioned enamel surfaces were observed under a scanning electron microscope. RESULTS: The SBS values of groups I (19.0 +/- 6.7 MPa) and II (16.6 +/- 7.3 MPa) were significantly higher than those of groups III (11.0 +/- 3.9 MPa), IV (10.1 +/- 3.7 MPa), and V (11.8 +/- 3.5 MPa). Fluoride-releasing adhesives (Kurasper F and BeautyOrtho Bond) showed clinically acceptable SBS values. Significant differences were found in the ARI and enamel fracture scores between groups I and II. CONCLUSIONS: The 4 self-etching adhesives yielded SBS values higher than the bond strength (5.9 to 7.8 MPa) suggested for routine clinical treatment, indicating that orthodontic brackets can be successfully bonded with any of these self-etching adhesives.