It has long been recognized that corrosion of the metal alloys used in the different fields of dentistry can cause intra-oral problems such as allergic reactions. Titanium, a metal all but impervious to corrosion, presents an alternative to the metal alloys used in the fabrication of orthodontic brackets. The purpose of this study was to test the bonding strength between titanium brackets treated with 5 different opaque and non-opaque coatings and a 2-phase adhesive. Five coating methods were tested: N1 (Dentaurum), N2 (Dentaurum), Rocatec (Espe), Sebond (Schütze), Silicoater Standard (Kulzer). After bonding the brackets with a mix adhesive, they were thermocycled and then the shear bonding strength established. Silicoated titanium bracket bases showed clinically acceptable bonding values with the exception of those coated with Sebond without opaquer layer. While the silicoating methods N1, N2, and Rocatec demonstrated minimum bonding strength using the opaquer Visio-Gem, the bonding strength of the bracket bases coated with Sebond MKV, Silicoater Standard and the opaquer appropriate to each was significant increased. Among all the coated surfaces, methods N1, N2, and Rocatec appear to establish the optimum bonding strength values. In addition, the thin opaquer layer (Visio-Gem) used together with these methods offers a good surface adaptation of the bracket to the tooth surface.
