Effect of re-mineralizing surface treatment on the shear bond strength of orthodontic bracket: A systematic review and meta-analysis of in-vitro studies

Introduction > Re-mineralizing surface pretreatment is essential for both controlling and preventing white spot lesion (WSL) throughout the time of fixed orthodontic treatment. It is also important that the re-mineralizing have no negative impact on the bonding between the bracket, adhesive, and enamel. Therefore, this review is aimed to investigate the orthodontic brackets' shear bond strength after re-mineralizing surface treatment of enamel. Material and methodology > The review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Invitro experimental studies measuring shear bond strength (SBS) of orthodontic brackets on both demineralized and intact enamel following re-mineralizing surface treatment were included. Database search was done in PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct during July 2023. Methodological quality of the studies was assessed according to the guidelines for the reporting of pre-clinical invitro studies. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the included studies were done. Results > Matching the inclusion criteria, 46 and 37 studies were selected for qualitative and quantitative analysis respectively. On intact enamel re-mineralizing agents had no negative impact on the brackets' SBS. On the contrary, they seemed to enhance the bond strength remarkably on the demineralized enamel. Discussion > Re-mineralizing surface pretreatment is crucial prior to fixed orthodontic treatment as it did not reduce the bond strength. Although, it cannot be judged depending solely on the in-vitro results with high heterogeneity. Clinical evidence is required to support the statement.