Aim: The aim of this study was a comparison of shear bond strength (SBS) on tooth enamel of different primers combined with the adhesive paste Transbond XT.
Materials and methods: Forty bovine teeth were used in order to create 40 test blocks. The blocks were divided into four groups of 10 blocks each: group A - sample primer (SP); group B - Opal Seal (OS); group C - Transbond Plus SEP (TSEP); group D - Transbond XT Primer (TXT). After surface preparation and application of the primer, respectively, two stainless steel brackets were fixed on each tooth by using Transbond XT. Accordingly, 80 brackets were debonded (n=20). Shear bond strength and adhesive remnant index (ARI) scores were evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed by using the Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test.
Results: All tested groups revealed high shear bond strength in a similar size range. There were no significant differences between the groups concerning shear bond strength. The ARI scores of group C showed significantly lower ARI scores (0 and 1) than that of group D. Apart from that there was no statistical difference.
Conclusion: In combination with the adhesive paste Transbond XT, all tested primers were suitable for fixing orthodontic brackets. The primers could be changed according to the clinical situation.
Keywords: adhesive remnant index (ARI); adhesive system; brackets; self-etching primer.