Relationship between enamel etch characteristics and resin-enamel bond strength.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between etch patterns produced on surface enamel by phosphoric acid and the corresponding bond strengths achieved.


METHODS
Twenty-eight patients had the buccal surface of their teeth etched and replicated for examination under the scanning electron microscope, at the commencement of orthodontic treatment. Histometry was employed to assess the nature and quality of etch patterns using a four-point scale. Twenty of each tooth type (total of 240), were collected and A Company pre-adjusted orthodontic brackets, bonded using Transbond light-cured orthodontic adhesive according to the manufacturer's instructions and 24-hour bond strength testing was undertaken. The Adhesive Remnant Index (ARI) was recorded for the tooth and bracket surface for all specimens.


RESULTS
The type of etch was not significantly affected by the side (left or right) of the mouth assessed (p = 0.532). Overall, there was no significant difference between etch types for upper and lower teeth (p = 0.218); however, there were significant differences between specific teeth in the upper and lower arch. The greatest amount of Type A etch (well-defined etched enamel prisms) was found on the lower incisors, yet in all cases this 'ideal' etch was found to occupy less than 5% of the etched buccal surface enamel. The greatest area of etched enamel surface was occupied by Type C (etched but enamel prisms not evident). The mean bond strength values varied significantly between different tooth types, with the lowest bond strength found on the upper first molar(6.5MPa) and the highest on the lower first molar (13.1 MPa).


CONCLUSIONS
An ideal etch pattern is not essential in order to produce a strong bond.
Hobson
R S
RS
Newcastle Dental School, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. R.S.Hobson@ncl.ac.uk
McCabe
J F
JF
D000134:Acid Etching, Dental / Q000145:classification / Q000379:methods; D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry; D000268:Adhesiveness; D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001641:Bicuspid / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017438:Bisphenol A-Glycidyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry; D002648:Child; D003481:Cuspid / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001840:Dental Bonding; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible; D008437:Maxilla; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008963:Molar / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016910:Orthodontic Brackets; D010756:Phosphoric Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016628:Replica Techniques; D019279:Resin Cements / Q000737:chemistry*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013499:Surface Properties
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D010756:Phosphoric Acids; D019279:Resin Cements; C065742:Transbond; D017438:Bisphenol A-Glycidyl Methacrylate