The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term stability of shear bond strength (SBS) when 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (10-MDP) containing universal adhesive was used in the ceramic bracket bonding on dental zirconia. Twenty human maxillary incisors were collected. The ceramic bracket was bonded on the buccal enamel surface after the acid-etching and orthodontic primer application (Group CON). Sixty zirconia specimens were sintered, sandblasted and divided into three experimental groups; group CP—ceramic primer followed by an orthodontic primer; group U—universal adhesive; group CU—ceramic primer followed by a universal adhesive. For each specimen, the bracket was bonded onto the treated surface with composite resin (Transbond XT, 3M ESPE). The SBS tested before (CON0, CP0, U0, CU0) and after the artificial aging (CON1, CP1, U1, CU1). The data were statistically analyzed with the Kruskal–Wallis test at a significance level of 0.05. The mean SBS of CON0, CP0, U0 and CU0 were within the clinically acceptable range without significant differences. After the aging process, SBS decreased in all groups. Among the aged groups, CP1 showed the highest SBS. Based on the results, when bonding ceramic brackets to a dental zirconia surface, we can conclude that ceramic primer used with an orthodontic primer, rather than using a universal adhesive, is recommended.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the shear bond strength (SBS) of a primer-treated ceramic bracket on dental zirconia and to compare it with conventional ceramic bracket bonding on surface-treated zirconia. Sintered and finished dental zirconia was sandblasted. Samples were divided according to the treated surfaces: no treatment (X), ceramic primer on zirconia (Z), ceramic primer on bracket base (B), and ceramic primer on both zirconia and bracket base (ZB). The ceramic bracket was bonded on zirconia and SBS was measured before (T₀) and after 10,000 cycles of thermocycling (T_f). The failed surfaces were examined under field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and adhesive remnant index (ARI) was evaluated. SBS was significantly higher in ZB and significantly lower in X in both T₀ and T_f. There was no significant difference between Z and B. In X and B, adhesive failure occurred while ZB showed mixed failures. There was no apparent change in the zirconia surface except for the existence of some adhesive and resin remnants. The application of ceramic primer on the bracket base increased the bonding strength to the level of conventional bonding with fewer adhesive remnants. The highest bonding strength was obtained when the primer-treated bracket was bonded on the primer-treated zirconia.