Effects of adhesive flash-free brackets on enamel demineralization and periodontal status.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of adhesive precoated (APC) flash-free brackets on enamel demineralization and periodontal status in patients during fixed orthodontic treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients, age 12 to 18 years, who had Angle Class I or Class II malocclusion with mild to moderate crowding in the permanent dentition were selected for this study. APC flash-free and conventional ceramic brackets were bonded for a split-mouth study design. The quadrant allocation was randomized. Demineralization records were obtained immediately after bonding (T0), 1 month after bonding (T1), and 6 months after bonding (T2). Clinical periodontal measurements, including gingival index, plaque index, and bleeding upon probing, were obtained before bonding (T0) and at the same time points (T1 and T2). Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U and Friedman tests to compare parameters between groups and times. RESULTS: Demineralization values decreased on most sides of the brackets for both groups between T0 and T1. In the conventional group, there was significantly higher demineralization on more sides compared with flash-free brackets between T1 and T2. With one exception, the decreased values were found in the incisal/occlusal sides of all brackets at T2. All periodontal parameters showed significant increases after 6 months of treatment in both groups. Intergroup comparison showed no significant differences in demineralization or periodontal measurements at any of the time points. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of APC flash-free and conventional brackets on enamel demineralization and periodontal health did not differ from each other.

Effects of adhesive flash-free brackets on debonding pain and time: A randomized split-mouth clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of adhesive precoated (APC) flash-free brackets on the level of pain, amount of remnant adhesive, and removal time during the debonding procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients (20 female, 10 male) aged 12 to 18 years undergoing nonextraction fixed orthodontic treatment were included in this study. APC flash-free and conventional ceramic brackets were bonded with a split-mouth study design. Bracket types were randomly allocated to quadrants. During the removal of the brackets, the visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess the level of pain for each tooth. The adhesive remnant index (ARI) was used to determine the amount of adhesive remaining on the tooth surface. Adhesive removal times were calculated per quadrant. The data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test for comparisons between groups. RESULTS: Pain scores were generally higher for the conventional group than for the flash-free group. There were no differences in VAS scores across most tooth types during debonding. Overall, ARI results showed more adhesive remnants in the conventional bracket group (P < .001). Except for the right maxillary quadrant, the times required to remove the adhesive were significantly longer for the flash-free brackets than the conventional brackets (P ≤ .005). CONCLUSIONS: Although removal time was slightly longer for the flash-free adhesive than for the conventional adhesive, lower pain scores were generally observed for the flash-free adhesive brackets during the debonding procedure. Both time and pain differences could be considered clinically insignificant.