A comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser with other in house refurbishing methods for reconditioning stainless steel and ceramic brackets. An environmental scanning electron microscope and shear bond strength analysis: An in-vitro study

Abstract

Introduction Brackets can be recycled by sending them to a commercial recycling company but it is time consuming and the bracket cannot be bonded in the same appointment. Hence in-house methods for recycling of brackets would be beneficial to both the orthodontist and the patient. Aim In our study, we compared the shear bond strength of brackets after being recycled with erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (ER:YAG) laser, sandblasting and the thermal method. Materials and Methods The study was carried out on 126 extracted premolars. The bonding procedure was performed with mandibular premolar metal and premolar ceramic brackets. Eighty-four teeth were subdivided into three groups for each method of recycling. These groups were further subdivided into two groups of 14 teeth each for the types of brackets used. Prior to the initial bonding the bracket was also viewed under an environmental scanning electron microscope to examine the meshwork of the brackets and once again after the respective recycling methods had been performed. Results We found that for stainless steel brackets, the sandblasting method was superior to the ER:YAG laser, as the recycled brackets showed a higher shear bond strength. For ceramic brackets the ER:YAG laser recycled group had the highest recycled shear bond strength therefore was the best method of recycling ceramic brackets.