Retentive Strength of Orthodontic Bands Cemented with Amorphous Calcium Phosphate-Modified Glass Ionomer Cement: An In-Vitro Study

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the retentive strength of orthodontic bands cemented with amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP)-containing and conventional glass ionomer cements (GICs). MATERIALS AND METHODS One-hundred-and-twenty mandibular third molars were embedded in acrylic resin blocks with the buccal surface of crowns perpendicular to the base of the mold. The teeth were randomly divided into four groups containing 30 teeth each. Groups 1 and 3 were cemented using conventional GIC and groups 2 and 4 were cemented using ACP-containing orthodontic cement. Groups 1 and 2 without thermocycling, and groups 3 and 4 after thermocycling (5000 cycles, 5° to 55°C) were tested for retentive strength using a universal testing machine (crosshead speed of 1mm/minute). Two-way ANOVA was performed to compare the retentive strength of the groups. RESULTS The highest retentive strength belonged to group 1, and it was significantly higher than that of group 2 (P<0.001) and group 3 (P=0.02). The mean strength for group 2 was significantly lower than that of group 1 (P<0.001) and group 4 (P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS Although retentive strength decreased when ACP was added to GIC, the retentive strength of the samples cemented by ACP-containing GIC was remarkably high after thermocycling. It seems that in the oral cavity, ACP-containing GIC provides sufficient strength to endure forces applied on posterior teeth.