Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the shear bond strength (SBS) and adhesive remnant index (ARI) of different orthodontic adhesive systems after exposure to aging media (water storage and acid challenge). Materials and methods: Eighty human upper premolar teeth were extracted for orthodontic purposes and randomly divided into two groups (40 teeth each): the first group in which the bonded teeth were stored in distilled water for 30 days at 37°C, and the second group in which the bonded teeth were subjected to acid challenge. Each group was further subdivided into four subgroups (10 teeth each) according to the type of adhesive system that would be bonded to metal brackets: either non-fluoride releasing adhesive (NFRA), fluoride releasing adhesive (FRA), Fluoride releasing bond with self-etching primer (FRBSP), or powder and liquid orthodontic fluoride releasing adhesive (PLFRA). After 30 days of water storage and acid challenge ageing procedures, the SBS was determined using Instron testing machine with a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. The ARI was assessed using a stereomicroscope with 10 X magnification. Result: The SBS testing revealed significant differences (p< 0.05) among the four tested adhesive systems in water storage and acid challenge groups using ANOVA F-test. In both groups, the NFRA subgroup exhibited the highest mean SBS value, followed by FRASP, then FRA subgroups, while the PLFRA subgroup had the lowest value of mean SBS. The independent t-test showed non-significant differences in mean SBS values between water storage and acid challenge groups. In respect to the ARI analysis, the Chi-square test showed significant differences among the tested adhesive systems. Conclusion: The shear bond strength of the fluoride releasing adhesive system was less than that of the non-fluoride releasing adhesive system, but still above the clinically acceptable range.
