This in vitro study sought to evaluate how surface conditioning from bracket and mechanical cycling aging affected the bond strength between metallic brackets and bovine enamel, and to determine the adhesive remnant index. Eighty bovine incisors were embedded in acrylic resin using polyvinyl chloride rings and divided into 4 groups based on surface treatment (n = 20). Group 1 (control) received no surface treatment, Group 2 specimens were sandblasted with aluminum oxide particles, Group 3 specimens were sandblasted with silicon oxide and treated with a tribochemichemical silica coupling agent, and Group 4 specimens were primed with a multidomain protein-based agent. Half of the specimens were submitted to shear bond testing, while the others were subjected to mechanical cycling. ANOVA showed that mechanical cycling did not have a significant influence on bond strength (P = 0.9244), while surface conditioning of the brackets did (P = 0.0001). Tukey's test results were similar for mechanical cycling, and indicated that only Group 3 significantly improved the resin bond to the brackets; however, this group also demonstrated the highest percentage of enamel failure.
Keywords: adhesion; brackets; mechanical cycling; surface treatment.