Investigation of the Shear Bond Strength of Orthodontic Buttons by Light Curing Using an Extended Optic Fiber

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the shear bond strength of orthodontic buttons according to light tip distance and optic fiber diameter when an extended optic fiber was applied to the tip of a curing light unit. In this study, 315 extracted premolar teeth were divided into 3 groups. Orthodontic buttons were attached using no optic fibers (Group I), 3.0 mm diameter optic fibers (Group II), or 5.0 mm diameter optic fibers (Group III). Each group was divided into subgroups A - C (5.0, 10.0, and 15.0 mm light tip distance), respectively. Shear bond strength was then measured while varying the light tip distance. In group I, shear bond strength significantly decreased as the light tip distance increased. When the shear bond strength was evaluated according to the optic fiber diameter, no statistical significance was observed in group of 5.0 mm light tip distance. Compared with group IB, group IIIB showed significantly greater shear bond strength. Compared with group IC, all groups using 3.0 or 5.0 mm diameter optic fibers showed significantly greater shear bond strength. Therefore, when a curing light unit has poor accessibility, optic fibers with a large diameter should be considered.