Adhesive precoated (APC) flash-free brackets (minimal excess adhesive) vs Conventional brackets: White spot lesions assessed by laser fluorescence (DIAGNOdent)
- Population
- Patients undergoing fixed orthodontic (fixed appliance) treatment (adolescents and adults, ages 12 to 35)
- Intervention
- Adhesive precoated (APC) flash-free brackets (minimal excess adhesive)
- Comparison
- Conventional brackets
- Outcome
- White spot lesions assessed by laser fluorescence (DIAGNOdent)
Two studies found adhesive flash-free brackets did not clinically reduce enamel demineralization or white spot lesions versus conventional brackets, though they reduced pathogenic bacteria (ungraded).
What each review found
Include earlier review versions| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Adhesive precoated (APC) flash-free brackets (minimal excess adhesive) vs Conventional brackets (conventional adhesive-coated / ceramic brackets) Enamel demineralization / white spot lesions (DIAGNOdent, QLF) · Patients undergoing fixed orthodontic (fixed appliance) treatment (adolescents and adults, ages 12 to 35) · 1 to 6 months (to debonding), Orthodontic clinical practice (in-vivo human clinical trials); adolescents and adults Two studies found adhesive flash-free brackets did not clinically reduce enamel demineralization or white spot lesions versus conventional brackets, though they reduced pathogenic bacteria (ungraded). Can Orthodontic Adhesive Systems Inhibit the Formation and Development of White Spot Lesions During Fixed… (2024) All outcomes | Two studies (Tan 2020 split-mouth, n=30; Yetkiner 2019 RCT, n=50): no statistically significant difference in demineralization between flash-free and conventional/APC brackets (Tan p>0.05; Yetkiner delta-F not… | 2 studies · 80 participants | GRADE not reported |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can Orthodontic Adhesive Systems Inhibit the Formation and Development of White Spot Lesions During Fixed Orthodontic Treatment? A… 2024 All outcomes | October 2023 | 12 | High / Low |
Studies behind the findings
The primary studies the full-text reviews tie to this outcome. Reviews with headline outcomes only do not list them here.
- Effects of adhesive flash-free brackets on enamel demineralization and periodontal status. · 2020 · included by 1 of these review
- Yetkiner et al. 2019 · included by 1 of these review
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.