A clinical study of amount of adhesive remaining on enamel after debonding, comparing etch times of 15 and 60 seconds.

This study is a follow-up of a previously reported trial that examined bond failures with either a 15- or 60-second enamel etch time. For the current study the same subjects were followed through to debonding at the end of active treatment. Two different methods of bond removal were used and an assessment of the amount of adhesive remaining was made by means of an Adhesive Remnant Index (ARI). ARI was not affected by etch time, age, sex, quadrant, or length of time on test; however, there was a statistically significant association with the position of the tooth in the arch, bracket type, debonding method, and operator. There would appear to be no clinical disadvantage with an enamel etch time of 15 seconds.