In vitro cyclic shear fatigue of the bracket-adhesive complex: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the effect of fatigue on the shear strength of the bracket-adhesive complex. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Brackets with laser-structured (Discovery®, Dentaurum) and foil mesh bases (Ultra-Minitrim®, Dentaurum) were bonded onto silanized stainless steel flat plates with two chemically curing adhesives (No-Mix Bonding System, Dentaurum; Concise™, 3M Unitek) and aged in distilled water at 37°C for 3 days. One group of specimens was used to determine shear-bond strength. The second group underwent shear-fatigue testing with a testing machine (Zwick 1445) according to the staircase method for 1,000 cycles, and the surviving specimens were subjected to shear-strength testing. The shear strength of the fatigued and non-fatigued specimens were then compared. RESULTS: Fatigued specimens demonstrated an 8% gain in shear strength in material group A (Discovery®/No-Mix) and a 10% loss of shear strength in material group D (Ultra-Minitrim®/Concise™) compared to the non-fatigued group. We observed no statistically significant differences in material groups B (Ultra-Minitrim®/No-Mix) and C (Discovery®/Concise™). The fatigue ratio varied between 60% and 67%. Among the non-fatigued specimens, the bracket Discovery® with laser-structured base showed circa 59% greater shear strength than the foil-mesh bracket Ultra-Minitrim®, and the adhesive Concise™ about 66% more shear strength than the No-Mix. CONCLUSION: Shear fatigue of the bracket-adhesive complex for 1,000 cycles revealed a variable, material-dependent influence on the shear strength of the bracket-adhesive complex. However, the effect of fatigue on shear strength was less significant than the effect of other factors such as bracket and adhesive type