Bruxism’s Implications on Fixed Orthodontic Retainer Adhesion

Abstract

Background: Fixed retainers assist in maintaining the outcomes of orthodontic treatment. Fixed retention may be affected by bruxism. Objective: Evaluate two adhesives (an ormocer and a flowable composite) used for fixed orthodontic retention in simulated bruxism settings, compared to regular mastication, using a dual axis chewing simulator. Methods: Eighty human teeth were used. Periodontal tissues were simulated and exposed to 120,000 mechanical cycles, corresponding to 6 months of clinical service. Each set of two teeth was supplied with a pre-shaped, fixed, multi-braided, stainless steel wire retainer, in 1.5 cm portions, to establish passive contact with the lingual surface of the teeth. The Adhesive Remnant Index (ARI) was used to evaluate the shear bond strength. A stereomicroscope was used to assess the micro-infiltration. Results: There was no significant difference in the mean value of micro-infiltration between adhesives in the mastication group but in the bruxism group. During testing, one composite sample (ARI score 1) was broken in the mastication group, while three ormocer samples (ARI score 2) and one composite sample (ARI score 1) were broken in the bruxism group. Conclusions: The mean value for micro-infiltration in composite (0.31) was more than double that in ormocer (0.13).

The Impact of Simulated Bruxism Forces and Surface Aging Treatments on Two Dental Nano-Biocomposites—A Radiographic and Tomographic Analysis

“…When interfacial defects were analyzed, based on silver nitrate infiltration, CBCT images revealed statistically significant higher differences between the samples of both materials when these were subjected to bruxism simulation compared with those samples that underwent only surface treatments (immersion in carbonated juice and dental bleaching gel) ( p < 0.05). Other researchers also observed similar effects [ 19 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 48 ]; moreover, for interfacial microleakage analysis, they reported [ 44 , 45 , 46 ] immersion of the samples in silver nitrate 50%, which is the same tracer used in our study.…”