Db. Boyer et al., DEBONDING ORTHODONTIC CERAMIC BRACKETS BY ULTRASONIC INSTRUMENTATION, American journal of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, 108(3), 1995, pp. 262-266
Breakage of ceramic brackets because of brittleness may cause such pro
blems as aspiration of fragments and injury by flying debris. Portions
remaining on the tooth must be laboriously ground off with a handpiec
e. This study investigated a potential method of lowering the force re
quired to remove ceramic brackets, i.e., use of an ultrasonic chisel.
Ceramic brackets were bonded to extracted incisors and canines. The de
gree of cure of a light-activated cement was systematically varied wit
h different exposure times to a curing light. The brackets were sheare
d from the teeth with a universal testing machine and a chisel tip on
a Cavitron. The ultrasonic chisel markedly reduced the force required
to debond the brackets; however, the time of application averaged 16.6
seconds. Reducing the degree of cure of the cement had only a slight
effect on the time required and the forces generated. This method of d
ebonding is not recommended without further development.