Effect of enamel etching on tensile bond strength of brackets bonded in vivo with a resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of enamel etching on tensile bond strength of orthodontic brackets bonded with resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement.

Materials And Methods: The sample group consisted of 15 patients who had indications for extraction of four premolars for orthodontic reasons, equally divided into two different groups according to bracket and enamel preparation. Brackets were bonded in vivo, by the same operator, using a split mouth random technique: Group 1 (control), phosphoric acid + Fuji Ortho LC; Group 2, Fuji Ortho LC without acid conditioning.