Are nano-composites and nano-ionomers suitable for orthodontic bracket bonding?

The aim of this study was to test nano-composite (Filtek Supreme Plus Universal) and a newly introduced nano-ionomer (Ketac™ N100 Light Curing Nano-Ionomer) restorative to determine their shear bond strength (SBS) and failure site locations in comparison with a conventional light-cure orthodontic bonding adhesive (Transbond XT). Sixty freshly extracted human maxillary premolar teeth were arbitrarily divided into three equal groups. The brackets were bonded to the teeth in each group with different composites, according to the manufacturers’ instructions. The SBS values of the brackets were recorded in Megapascals (MPa) using a universal testing machine. Adhesive remnant index scores were determined after failure of the brackets. The data were analysed using analysis of variance, Tukey honestly significant difference, and chi-square tests. The results demonstrated that group 1 (Transbond XT, mean: 12.60 ± 4.48 MPa) had a higher SBS than that of group 2 (nano-composite, mean: 8.33 ± 5.16 MPa; P < 0.05) and group 3 (nano-ionomer, mean: 6.14 ± 2.12 MPa; P < 0.001). No significant differences in debond locations were found among the three groups. Nano-composites and nano-ionomers may be suitable for bonding since they fulfil the previously suggested SBS ranges for clinical acceptability, but they are inferior to a conventional orthodontic composite.