A comparative study of some dental cements used in orthodontics.

It is suggested that decalcification occurring beneath orthodontic bands is, among other factors, related to the tensile bond strength of the cement to the enamel surface, its marginal leakage at the enamel-cement interface, and its solubility and and disintegration. Under the laboratory conditions described in this study the composite cement exhibited the greatest tensile bond strength to both enamel and band material. The composite cement also displayed no marginal leakage at the enamel-cement interface and showed no solubility or disintegration under the experimental conditions. It could therefore be anticipated that, of the four cements evaluated in this study, the composite cement would have the greatest potential for eliminating pathologic enamel decalcification occurring beneath orthodontic bands.