Aim:

To evaluate the effect of different enamel conditionings on the shear bond strength (SBS) and bond failure patterns of a resin modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) used to bond ceramic brackets.

Methods:

105 human premolars extracted for orthodontic reasons were divided into 7 groups according to the enamel surface treatments: conditioners (35% phosphoric acid and 10% polyacrylic acid), type of adhesive (Transbond(r) and Fuji Ortho LC Capsule(r)), washing time and drying of the surface.

Results:

A significant p<0.05 was observed among the shear bond strength values obtained with seven different types of enamel preparation prior to bonding. The group that had the tooth surface conditioned with polyacrylic acid and enamel surface slightly dried before bracket placement showed no significant difference (p>0.05) to the group that had brackets bonded with composite resin. The two groups that had enamel prepared with polyacrylic acid and brackets bonded with GIC on a wet surface showed significantly lower shear bond strength than the control group (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

Moisture contamination decreased SBS, but not enough to preclude the use of RMGIC as an alternative to composite resin (CR) for direct bonding of ceramic brackets.