Objective: To test the hypothesis that there is no difference between the bracket survival rate of brackets bonded to bleached and unbleached teeth.
Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight patients who required comprehensive orthodontic treatment were included in the study. A split mouth technique was used with one arch exposed to in-office whitening gel containing 38% hydrogen peroxide for 30 minutes, while the unbleached arch served as the control. Patients were divided into two groups: Brackets bonded within 24 hours after bleaching and brackets bonded 2–3 weeks after bleaching. The bracket survival rate was computed using the log-rank test (Kaplan-Meier Analysis).
Results: A significantly higher rate of bracket failure was found with bleached teeth (16.6%) compared with unbleached teeth (1.8%) after 180 days. Brackets bonded within 24 hours of bleaching resulted in significantly higher clinical failure (14.5%) compared with those bonded after 3 weeks (2.1%). Adhesive Remnant Index scores of failed brackets revealed that the majority of failure in bleached teeth occurred in the enamel/resin interface.
Conclusions: The hypothesis was rejected. Brackets bonded within 24 hours after bleaching have a significantly higher risk for bond failure. Orthodontic bonding should be delayed for 2–3 weeks if patients have a history of in-office bleaching with 38% hydrogen peroxide
