Evaluation of the effect of nitrile and powderless latex gloves contamination on the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets bonded with composite on dental enamel

The composite resin bond strength to the enamel can be affected by contamination with various agents. Protective gloves are one of the factors which can cause contamination and disruption of the composite resin bond strength to the tooth structure. The aim of this study was to investigate the shear bond strength (SBS) of orthodontic brackets bonded with composite resin to enamel after contamination with powderless latex and nitrile gloves.

A total of 208 orthodontic brackets were bonded on the mesial and distal of 104 intact extracted premolar teeth. The teeth were randomly divided into latex and nitrile groups. Each group was divided into test and control subgroups. In the test groups, the composite resin was placed with latex or nitrile gloves, and in the control group without contact with the gloves on the bracket base. The SBS of the samples was measured in a compressive test machine at a strain rate of 0.5 mm/min. The data were analyzed by independent t-test. The significance level was set at p<0.05.

There was no significant difference in SBS between the latex and nitrile subgroups with or without gloves. There was no significant difference between the latex and nitrile groups and their control groups.

The use of powder-free latex gloves and nitrile gloves does not affect the SBS of composite resins; therefore, they are recommended for dental procedures.