Plasma versus halogen light: the effect of different light sources on the shear bond strength of brackets.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate differences between plasma and halogen light polymerization in relation to the attainable shear bond strength of brackets bonded with various adhesives. 720 brackets were divided into 72 different groups of n = 10. The brackets were bonded to 240 flat polished test specimens produced from bovine teeth, Pontor MPF alloy, and extra hard plaster (type III) respectively. Transbond XT, Kurasper F or Fuji Ortho LC served as adhesives to bond either ceramic (Transcend 6000) or stainless steel brackets (Mini Uni-Twin). 50% of all brackets were bonded with a minimum layer of adhesive, and the remaining 50% with an adhesive layer thickness of 1.0 mm. In 360 cases the adhesive was polymerized with a plasma light (PAC), and in a further 360 cases with a halogen light (Optilux 401). The light curing time was 10 s with plasma light and 40 s with halogen light. After 24 h of storage in deionized water at room temperature, all brackets were subjected to a shear bond strength test according to ISO standard 10477. The measured shear bond strength did not differ significantly between the two curing light sources. The 1 mm adhesive layer thickness group showed significantly higher shear bond strengths in comparison to the minimum layer thickness group.