As new adhesive products become available in restorative dentistry, investigating their potential application for orthodontic use is warranted. Vertise Flow (Kerr) is a self-adhering flowable resin and is being marketed for use as a sealant, porcelain repair and small class I restorations. It has potential for use as an orthodontic adhesive. Objective: Determine if Vertise Flow (Kerr) is suitable for bonding fixed orthodontic appliances to enamel, restorative resin composite and porcelain with minimal surface preparation. Methods: Shear Bond Strengths (SBS) from six (6) groups of fifteen (15) bonded stainless steel lingual buttons (Ormco) were obtained over three time points (24hr, 7 days, and 3 months). The six test groups were: 1.Vertise Flow to enamel (Tt) with coarse pumice debridement, 2. Transbond XT (3M, Unitek) to enamel (Tc) with phosphoric acid etching [control], 3.Vertise Flow to Herculite Ultra (Kerr) (Cc) with coarse pumice debridement, 4. Vertise Flow to Filtek Supreme Ultra (3M, ESPE) (Ct) with coarse pumice debridement, 5. Vertise Flow (Kerr) to porcelain (Pt) with diamond bur roughening, and 6. Transbond XT (3M Unitek) to porcelain (Pc) with hydrofluoric acid etching. Samples were stored in distilled water and incubated at 37C. The buttons were then debonded with a Zwick Universal Testing machine using a 10 kN load cell with a crosshead speed of 0.5mm/min. Debonded buttons were evaluated based on a modified Adhesive Remnant Index (ARI). Statistical assessment of the data was performed using parametric and non-parametric tests, with p<0.05 as the threshold for statistical significance. Results: The mean SBS obtained in all groups at each time point were >4MPa and varied between 8.69MPa and 27.44MPa. Statistical differences were found within the composite and porcelain groups at T1, and the enamel and composite groups at both T2 and T3. Nearly half of the sample (47.2%) achieved an ARI score of 5 (100% adhesive left on button base).
Conclusion: Vertise Flow potentially provides clinically acceptable bond strengths to enamel, restorative resin composite and porcelain with minimal surface preparation. Furthermore, upon removal, minimal adhesive clean-up is required thus saving valuable chair time. Based on the results in this study, future in vivo investigation is suggested.