A 3-year audit of the failure rate of first molar buccal tubes among orthodontic patients in a Nigerian population

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to assess the bond failure rate of molar buccal tubes during active orthodontic treatments and the effect of age of the patient, gender, dental arches (maxillary and mandibular), and side of the arch on molar buccal tube bond failure. Methods: This was a retrospective study that assessed the bond failure of molar buccal tubes. Data were obtained from the case files of orthodontic patients undergoing orthodontic treatment and included subjects' age, gender, presence or absence of molar bond failure, well as the time the failure occurred. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS software version 23. Results: Participants comprised 96 subjects; 59 females (61.5%) and 37 males (38.5%). A total of 384 buccal tubes were bonded with a failure rate of 18%. The highest occurrence of bond failure was observed in the 1st month and the 2nd month after setup. Bond failure was observed in a higher percentage of the male population (43.2%) compared to females (37.3%). The difference in bond failure between gender was statistically insignificant. The prevalence of bond failure was significantly higher in younger patients (≤15 years, 61.7%, P = 0.0005). There was no significant effect of gender, time, dental arch, and side of the arch on the prevalence of bond failure. Conclusion: Buccal tube bond failure rate in our study was found to be 18%. Bond failure was significantly higher in the younger population compared to the adults. There was no significant effect of gender, time, or side of the arch on buccal tube bond failure.