An Investigation into the Use of a Single Component Self-etching Primer Adhesive System for Orthodontic Bonding: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

This study assessed the in vivo bond failure of the single component orthodontic self-etching primer system, Ideal 1 (GAC Orthodontic Products) and compared it with the conventional acid etching using a conventional 37% o-phosphoric acid, rinsing and drying regimen when bonding stainless steel orthodontic brackets to enamel. Prospective randomized, controlled clinical trial. Orthodontic Department, Bristol Dental School. Twenty consecutive patients undergoing upper and lower fixed orthodontic treatment entered this cross-mouth control study. Diagonally opposite quadrants were randomly allocated to either the self-etching primer group or the conventional etching group. A total of 339 teeth were bonded with Ideal 1 light-cured adhesive. Bond failures and locus of bond failure were then recorded at 1, 6 and 12 months. Significantly more bond failures occurred at each of the 3 time intervals, 1, 6 and 12 months, where the enamel was pretreated with the Ideal I self-etching primer, than when the enamel was treated with the conventional etchant, 37% o-phosphoric acid. With the latter the cumulative bond failure rates were 3.0, 5.3 and 14.8%, respectively. With the self-etching primer the cumulative failure rates were 29.4, 56.5 and 72.4%. The study found that enamel pre-treatment with the Ideal 1 self-etching primer system prior to orthodontic bonding results in an unacceptably high bond failure rate when compared with conventional enamel acid etching.