Shear bond strength of a new dental adhesive used to bond brackets to unetched enamel

The aims of the present study were to measure the shear bond strength of a new multipurpose dental adhesive, IntegraCem, for direct bonding of stainless steel and ceramic brackets to unetched enamel, and to determine the mode of bond failure. Both stainless steel and ceramic brackets (GAC) were bonded with IntegraCem to unetched extracted human premolars. After bonding, the teeth were either stored in a water bath at 37degreesC for 3 days or passed 2500 thermocycles from 6 to 60degreesC. Debonding was then performed with a shearing force using an Instron universal testing machine. The force was recorded at bond failure. The results showed that the shear bond strength achieved was between 6.7 and 10.8 megapascals (MPa). Bond failure occurred at the enamel-adhesive interface, enabling more efficient enamel clean up. The shear bond strengths measured suggest that IntegraCem adhesive may be effectively used in orthodontic treatment.