ABSTRACT
Enamel acid etching plays an important role in treatment on direct bracket bonding. Several studies have been carried out concerning the damage this procedure causes to the enamel. A valuable alternative seems to be the use of photopolymerizable resin-reinforced glass ionomer without acid etching of enamel. This study compares the strength of bracket debonding, the amount of remnant adhesive on the tooth, and the enamel condition in 3 adhesive systems. Three groups were set; in the first group, a glass ionomer with a photopolymerizable resin reinforce and enamel etching with orthophosphoric acid at 37% was used; in the second group, the same ionomer was used but without acid etching; and in the third group, a photopolymerizable resin was used after etching enamel with orthophosphoric acid at 37%. Debonding strength was determined in MPa; a stereoscopic microscope was used to determine the amount of remnant adhesive on the tooth in accordance to ARI and a scanning electron microscope study was made to observe the enamel conditions, existing in debonding among groups (P <.0001), with etching and without etching. The remnant adhesive on the tooth did not show a significant difference (P = 1.000); greater irregularities were found in the enamel in the etching groups. It was demonstrated that the etching was a critical factor in obtaining adequate adhesion strength and that it alters the enamel conditions. Teeth with ionomer and etching had a greater material remnant.