Resin-modified glass ionomer cements for bonding orthodontic retainers

The aims of this study were to evaluate the shear bond strength (SBS), fracture mode, and wire pull out (WPO) resistance between resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) and conventional orthodontic composite used as a lingual retainer adhesive. Forty lower human incisors were randomly divided into two equal groups. To determine the SBS, either Transbond-LR or Fuji Ortho-LC was applied to the lingual surface of the teeth by packing the material into cylindrical plastic matrices with an internal diameter of 2.34 mm and a height of 3 mm (Ultradent) to simulate the lingual retainer bonding area. To test WPO resistance, 20 samples were prepared for each composite where the wire was embedded in the composite material and cured, 20 seconds for Transbond-LR and 40 seconds for Fuji Ortho-LC. The ends of the wire were then drawn up and tensile stress was applied until failure of the resin. A Student's t-test for independent variables was used to compare the SBS and WPO data. Fracture modes were analyzed using Pearson chi-square test. Significance was determined at P < 0.05. The SBS values were 24.7 +/- 9.2 and 10.2 +/- 5.5 MPa and the mean WPO values 19.8 +/- 4.6 and 11.1 +/- 5.7 N for Transbond-LR and Fuji Ortho-LC, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that the SBS and WPO values of Transbond-LR and Fuji Ortho-LC were significantly different (P < 0.001). No significant differences were present among the groups in terms of fracture mode. However, the RMGIC resulted in a significant decrease in SBS and WPO; it produced sufficient SBS values on the etched enamel surfaces, when used as a bonded orthodontic retainer adhesive.