Abstract
The influence of temperature and relative humidity (RH) on the bond strength of orthodontic adhesives was investigated. Two self-etching/composite type, one acid-etching/composite type, and one acid-etching/PMMA type of adhesives were examined under different temperature and RH conditions. Orthodontic brackets were bonded to bovine enamel, and shear bond strength test was performed at a crosshead speed of 1.0 mm/min after 24-hour storage in 37 degrees C water. Data were analyzed by Tukey's HSD test. Each specimen was assigned an ART score. All the materials tested exhibited their highest bond strength under room conditions at a range of 10.4-17.0 MPa. Conversely, when under a lower RH condition, bond strength for all the systems ranked the lowest within a range of 6.8-12.0 MPa, with bond failure at the bracket-adhesive interface. These results demonstrated that care should be exercised when using orthodontic adhesive systems in the oral environment.