Light-Cured Adhesives and Internet Usage

What brands of light-cured adhesives do you use most often?

Transbond^*** was the most commonly used brand, favored by 40% of those who used light-cured adhesives. Fuji Ortho LC^† and Fuji II LC^† were listed by 27% and 20% of the respondents, respectively.

What advantages have you found in the brands you have tried, compared to other adhesives?

Ability to bond in a wet field, to second molars, and to partially erupted teeth were the major advantages cited. Some practitioners mentioned the release of fluoride by certain brands, as well as the ease of clean-up after debonding.

What disadvantages have you found in the brands you have tried, compared to other adhesives?

The primary disadvantage was reported to be a lower bond strength and higher failure rate than with chemically cured adhesives. Concern was also expressed over the fluidity of some materials, which exhibited considerable bracket drift during bonding.

Which light sources do you use the most often?

Ortholux^*** was the choice of 39% of the practices, followed by Optilux^‡ at 34%. The remaining 27% were divided among a large number of orthodontic and general dental light sources.

What is your normal tacking time per bracket? What is your normal curing time per bracket?

Ten seconds was by far the most popular tacking time. About 70% of the respondents used either 30- or 40-second curing times, but the times ranged from 15 to 60 seconds.

Specific comments included:

• "Light cure appears to clean off the enamel without scarring and has also been effective in reducing decalcification, as the sealant stays on."
• "Some of the problems we have encountered with light cure include that it is slower (despite manufacturers' claims) and we need many lights and tips to sterilize, with increased costs."
• "I use the new Fuji light bond for rebonds only. It is very fast and time-efficient, but the brackets tend to drift somewhat."
• "I like Fuji Ortho LC for all rebonds and all second-molar bonds; also for difficult patients who can't stay dry."

Do you currently own a computer with a modem? If so, do you have an e-mail address? Do you have access to the Internet? If so, what provider do you use?

Although 82% of the respondents owned computers with modems, only 35% had e-mail addresses and 46% had Internet access. America Online was the most common provider, serving 56% of the Internet-connected offices, while the remainder used a wide variety of local and national providers.

Do you subscribe to the Electronic Orthodontic Study Club? If not have you heard of it? Have you ever sent a message to the club?

Nearly half of the orthodontists had heard of the Electronic Orthodontic Study Club, but only 5% were subscribers and fewer than 2% had ever sent messages.

How often do you access the Internet, the World Wide Web, and various dental home pages?

The Internet in general was used daily by 14% of the respondents and at least weekly by another 14%. The World Wide Web was accessed daily by 10% and at least weekly by another 14%. Web sites such as the ADA and AJODO home pages were accessed regularly by fewer than 5% of the respondents. Several reported regularly visiting the sites of their local universities or orthodontic alma maters, while others said they used the sites of some orthodontic suppliers or the Angle Orthodontist.

What do you like best about the Electronic Orthodontic Study Club and other orthodontic resources on the Internet with which you are familiar?

The practitioners said they liked discussions of problem cases the most, followed by the ability to review upcoming publications and to access orthodontic information in general.

What do you like the least?

The presence of advertisements and the use of the Internet for personal correspondence were the primary dislikes mentioned.

What improvements would you like to see in these resources?

Requests included more clinically relevant home pages, listing or even teaching of continuing education programs, and practice management information. Several respondents wanted manufacturers to provide inventory lists and prices.

Some specific comments:

• "The Electronic Orthodontic Study Club should have a newsgroup format to organize topics."
• "Practice management information--e.g., dealing with insurance, bankruptcies, and legal issues such as when and how to dismiss patients--should be on the Internet."

JCO would like to thank the following contributors to this month's column:
Dr. Ralph K. Bair, Logan, UT
Dr. Samuel Berkowitz, South Miami, FL
Dr. Glendon J. Bogdon, West Allis, WI
Dr. Kathleen M. Burr, South Windsor, CT
Dr. Morton Cohen, Norristown, PA
Dr. Joe H. Crain, Fort Worth, TX
Dr. Larry D. Cross, Clovis, CA
Dr. Susan Menapace Delclos, Missouri City, TX
Dr. Daniel J. DiBagno, Greensburg, PA
Dr. Robert A. Eckelson, Boca Raton, FL
Dr. S. Grayson Eddy, Jr., Knoxville, TN
Dr. Robert V. Fiore, Newton, NJ
Dr. John B. Frazier, Green Bay, WI
Dr. Ronald L. Gallerano, Houston, TX
Dr. Daniel C. George, Holland, MI
Dr. Jay M. Gibson, San Antonio, TX
Dr. Larry Z. Greenberg, Houston, TX
Dr. Edmund C. Guyer, Niles, MI
Dr. Thomas J. Hanewald, Elmira, NY
Dr. Jeffrey H. Harnett, East Northport, NY
Drs. Joel R. Harris and Paul J. Perfetti, Yonkers, NY
Dr. Tom E. Hartsock, Pikeville, KY
Dr. Steven L. Hechler, Overland Park, KS
Dr. Amlia C. Jacobs, Louisville, KY
Dr. William E. Johnson, Vincennes, IN
Dr. John T. Kalange, Boise, ID
Dr. Kenneth B. Kaplin, Palatine, IL
Drs. Reuben A., Thomas B., and Douglas A. Kirkpatrick, Tulsa, OK
Dr. Dennis J. Lazzara, St. Charles, IL
Dr. Ronald R. Lints, Traverse City, MI
Dr. Lee R. Logan, Northridge, CA
Dr. Charles C. Low, Glendale, CA
Dr. Stephen E. Ludwig, Alameda, CA
Dr. Raymond A. McLendon, Kingwood, TX
Dr. Dominic A. Mazzocco, Hanover, MA
Dr. Vanessa A. Morenzi, Haddonfield, NJ
Dr. Gary J. Moskowitz, Burlington, MA
Dr. Wendel L. Nixon, West Columbia, SC
Dr. Casey O'conor, Cleveland, OH
Dr. Joseph A. Persichetti, Philadelphia, PA
Drs. Joseph Pomerantz and David Jenkins, Old Tappan, NJ
Drs. Theodore R. Pope and Melvin Mayerson, Englewood, OH
Dr. Gary T. Puccio, Castleton, NY
Dr. Robert H. Rappaport, Ware, MA
Dr. Ralph N. Robbins, Niles, IL
Dr. Antonino Russo, Port Jefferson Station, NY
Dr. John Russell, III, Columbus, MS
Dr. James Schweiger, Duluth, MN
Dr. Gregory K. Shell, Lenoir, NC
Dr. M.E. Steen, DeLand, FL
Drs. Lamon A. Stewart and Stephen Labbe, Greenbelt, MD
Dr. Walter L. Stewart, La Grange, GA
Dr. T. Kevin Sullivan, Topsham, ME
Dr. James C. Trouten, Willoughby, OH
Dr. David F. Wemmer, Okeechobee, FL
Dr. Boyd O. Whitlock III, Springdale, AR
Dr. Dorothy E. Whalen, Glen Cove, NY