Seminars in Orthodontics

VOL 16, NO 1

MARCH 2010

Introduction
he development of directly bonding orthodontic attachments to dental enamel is
perhaps among the most significant advances in
orthodontics in the past 50 years. Bonding directly to enamel which replaced, for the most
part, the long and arduous task of banding all
the teeth to be moved during orthodontic treatment created several possibilities. These included the length of chair-side time to place the
attachments to the teeth to permit force application, the number of patients under the care of
an orthodontist, perhaps decreasing enamel
demineralization beneath the luted bands, and
perhaps not always fully appreciated, a decrease
in the number of extractions needed for orthodontic care because of the decreased arch
length required in bonding versus banding
teeth. It has been estimated that fully banding a
dental arch requires approximately 3-4 mm of
arch length which becomes clinically significant,
particularly in the mandibular arch when factoring in unstable expansion and long-term stability
of the orthodontic treatment.

2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

doi:10.1053/j.sodo.2009.12.001

This issue of Seminars in Orthodontics has assembled an eclectic group of articles which
should be of interest to clinicians, researchers,
and academicians. The issue covers the historical development of direct bonding to enamel,
research and clinical applications, biological aspects of the enamel surface of teeth, the effects
of storage media on teeth that will be tested in
research, issues related to bonding to normal as
opposed to hypoplastic and fluorosed enamel,
a very novel method of using protocols never
before described, comparisons of methods of
debonding after the completion of orthodontic
treatment, and the polymerization and photocuring of resins used in clinical orthodontics.
The variety of topics discussed in this issue of
Seminars in Orthodontics will hopefully intrigue
the reader and add to the body of knowledge of
this important subject which is of vital importance to the clinician.
Enjoy!

Percival Lionel Sadowsky, DMD, and

Roberto Justus, DDS, MSD
Editor and Guest Editor

Seminars in Orthodontics, Vol 16, No 1 (March), 2010: p 1