Abstract
OBJECTIVE: One of the adverse effects of in-office bleaching is tooth hypersensitivity, which could be neutralized with a desensitizing agent. In-office bleaching and the application of desensitizing agents will affect the morphology of the enamel surface. These morphological changes have potential effects on the shear bond strength (SBS) and bonding of orthodontic brackets. This study analyzed the effects of fluoride and nonfluoride desensitizing agents after in-office bleaching on the SBS of metal brackets with resin composite cementation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven postextraction premolars (n = 27) were bleached with 37% hydrogen peroxide and then divided into three groups: control group (group 1), fluoride-based desensitizing agent (group 2), and nonfluoride-based desensitizing agent (group 3). After treatment, the brackets were bonded using Transbond, and then the SBS test was performed using a universal testing machine. The adhesive remnant index (ARI) was analyzed after the SBS test, whereas enamel morphological changes were observed under a scanning electron microscope. After this assessment, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was conducted to determine calcium and phosphorus elements in the enamel surface after treatments. SBS data were analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance, followed by the Tukey test, whereas ARI scores were subjected to the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney test with a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: The SBS increased significantly in group 2 compared with groups 1 and 3 (p < 0.05). In group 2, an ARI of 2 (55.56%) was frequent, whereas in group 3, an ARI of 3 (55.56%) appeared most frequently. CONCLUSION: The application of the desensitizing agent fluoride after in-office bleaching increased the SBS and more adhesive remains on the tooth surface compared with that when nonfluoride desensitizing agents were applied on metal brackets with composite resin cementation.