Effect of Chlorhexidine Gluconate, Clearfil Protect Bond, and KTP Laser on Microleakage Under Metal Orthodontic Brackets with Thermocycling

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of antimicrobial pretreatments [chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), Clearfil Protect Bond (CPB), and potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser] on microleakage under metal orthodontic brackets. Materials and Methods: Sixty freshly-extracted human premolars were randomly assigned to four equal groups: group 1, 37% phosphoric acid; group 2, 37% phosphoric acid + 2% CHX; group 3, 37% phosphoric acid + KTP laser; and group 4, CPB. The teeth were kept in distilled water for 24 h, and thereafter subjected to 500 thermal cycles. Then specimens were sealed with nail varnish, stained with 0.5% basic fuchsin for 24 h, sectioned, and evaluated under a stereomicroscope. Microleakage was scored with regard to the adhesive-tooth interface and the bracket-adhesive interface at both incisal and gingival margins by the same person. Statistical analysis was accomplished by one-way ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test, with significance set at p = 0.05. Results: Microleakage was observed in all groups. No statistically significant difference was observed among all groups in terms of microleakage when bracket-adhesive and bracket-enamel interface along both gingival and incisal margins was evaluated (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The lowest microleakage scores were observed in the control group. CPB, KTP, and CHX groups did not show significant differences with the control group (p > 0.05), but the mean scores of the CHX group were higher than those of the other two experimental groups.