Direct bonding of cast splint Herbst appliances: a clinical comparison between a resin-reinforced glass ionomer adhesive and a composite resin

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical performance of a resin-modified, self-cured glass ionomer adhesive for bonding cast splint Herbst appliances to that of a conventional composite resin in a split-mouth design. Ten patients (six females and four males) with cast splint Herbst appliances were followed for a mean period of 791 months. The performance of 40 cobalt-chromium cast splints was evaluated: 20 cast splints were bonded with GC Fuji Ortho glass ionomer adhesive (GC America Inc., Alsip, IL, USA), and 20 bonded with Excel composite resin (Reliance Orthodontic Products Inc., Itasca, IL, USA). Excel recorded an overall failure rate (20%), which was higher than GC Fuji Ortho (15%), but not significantly different (p\0.05). There were no statistically significant differences (p\0.05) between the failure rates in the upper and lower arches within each material and between the two bonding agents. This study demonstrates that resin-modified, self-cured glass ionomers can be recommended as alternative materials for bonding cast splint Herbst appliances.