A study comparing orthodontic brackets
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A randomized split mouth study comparing a flash-free adhesive bracket to a conventionally bonded pre-coated adhesive bracket.
IRAS ID
220690
Contact name
Shanthi Sidhom
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 1 months, 31 days
Research summary
It is vital, for orthodontic treatment, that a reliable adhesive bond between an orthodontic bracket and the tooth surface, is achieved.
Inadequate placement of orthodontic brackets, creating voids between the adhesive layer and tooth surface, can lead to reduced bond strength resulting in bracket failure and compromised orthodontic treatment and outcomes. These voids may act as plaque traps, facilitating plaque accumulation and potentially leading to the development of tooth decay around orthodontic brackets.
For this reason it is vital that orthodontic brackets are placed firmly on tooth surfaces, extruding excess cement ensuring a good seal. This excess extruded cement is otherwise known as flash, which is removed prior to setting the adhesive using a positioning instrument or dental probe.
There is the potential for brackets to be moved once they have been placed on the tooth surface during the removal of flash by an instrument. This excessive movement of brackets can cause a disruption to the bond strength between the tooth surface and the bracket adhesive.
The orthodontic bracket manufacturer 3M have developed a flash free adhesive metal bracket. When the bracket is placed onto the tooth, the adhesive spreads out and conforms to the tooth surface with no flash to clean up. 3M have quoted this flash-free bracket to save bonding time by up to 40% and have a bond failure rate of less than 2%.
This study therefore aims to compare the bond strength of the metal flash-free 3M bracket to another conventional 3M metal bracket without flash-free technology in a clinical setting. Both brackets are currently available on the market.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SC/0149
Date of REC Opinion
8 May 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion