The effect of ceramic surface conditioning on bond strength of metallic brackets: An in vitro study

The hydrofluoric acid treatment produced a favorable SBS for all three examined ceramic types before bracket bonding with Assure^® Plus All. In comparison, sandblasting yielded a satisfactory SBS only with feldspathic surfaces. Furthermore, the ARI indicated a higher frequency of mixed-adhesive failures except for lithium disilicate conditioned with sandblasting. Therefore, using hydrofluoric acid is likely to be especially recommended when the clinician is not aware of the brand of ceramic restorative material.