DOES CIGARETTE SMOKING AFFECT THE BOND STRENGTH OF ORTHODONTIC BRACKETS? AN IN VITRO STUDY.

Abstract

Introduction: In orthodontic treatment, the attachment of the bracket to the tooth is influenced by a variety of external factors, including nutrition and smoking. We assessed the variation in shear bond strength of different varieties of orthodontic brackets utilized by smokers as part of our research. One hundred teeth were separated into two equal groups: ceramic and metal. Subsequently, each group was divided into an equal number of subgroups, one each, with and without smoking exposure. The brackets were fastened utilizing the traditional approach, and the tensile strength was evaluated by means of a "universal testing machine" (UTM). To simulate smoke exposure to the resin-mounted teeth, the "British American Tobacco's Exposure Chamber" was utilized. A comparison was conducted between the groups utilizing suitable statistical tools, with significance set at p<0.05.We observed that the maximum strength was exhibited by the nonsmoker ceramic bracket. The least was seen in the metal brackets of the smokers. All the observations were statistically significant. The physical properties of the orthodontic brackets specifically the shear strength is affected by cigarette smoking. The ceramic brackets performed better than the metallic, when compared.

Key words: Bond Strength, Brackets, Smoking, Orthodontics.