Improvement of the Molar Tube Bond Durability with Preheated Orthodontic Adhesive

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of preheated orthodontic adhesives and thermal cycling on the bond strength of molar tubes. One hundred sixty molar tubes were bonded to acid-etched bovine incisors using a conventional orthodontic adhesive (Transbond XT), two microhybrid (Wave and Permaflo), and a nanofilled (Filtek Z350) flowable composite resins, at room temperature or preheated at 60°C. Transbond XT primer and Single Bond 2 adhesive system were used in association with Transbond XT and the flowable composites, respectively. The specimens were stored in water (37°C) for 24 h, and half of the sample was subjected to thermal cycling for 6000 cycles. Ashear bond strength (SBS) test was performed, followed by the appraisal of the adhesive Remnant Index (ARI). Three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey test were performed at a significance level of 95% (P < .05). Samples bonded with preheated adhesives showed higher SBS regardless of the aging method. Only samples bonded with preheated conventional orthodontic adhesive maintained their bond strength after thermal cycling for 6000 cycles. Preheating orthodontic adhesives improved the bond strength of molar tubes, but only the preheated conventional orthodontic adhesive was capable of maintaining bond strength after thermal cycling.