A comparison of shear bond strengths of metal and ceramic brackets.

The study measures and compares shear bond strength data obtained from metal, ceramic, and ceramic-filled plastic brackets bonded to human incisor teeth with a heavily filled composite resin. The mean values for groups of different types of brackets were not statistically significant. The site of failure was commonly at the resin/bracket interface except for the ceramic-filled plastic brackets, which frequently showed failure of the bracket itself. One group of ceramic brackets that used no mechanical retention often showed failure to the extent that the bulk of resin remained on the bracket. The findings strongly suggest that ceramic brackets should offer a viable alternative to their metal counterparts because they combine esthetics with a bond strength that is comparable to and as reliable as their metal counterparts.