Degree of Cure and Monomer Leaching from Orthodontic Adhesive Resins: In Vitro and in Vivo Evidence

The aim of this review article is to summarize the recent in vitro and in vivo evidence in the field of degree of conversion and the monomer leaching from orthodontic adhesive resins. Analysis of the material is structured around the presentation of evidence summarizing the current status in this field. The degree of cure of polymer adhesives modulates the physical and mechanical properties of the material, particularly solubility and degradation and for these reasons are of scientific interest. The leached components from resinous materials, which are related to the degree of cure of the resin, is of important biological interest and has raised serious concern for the possible biological adverse effects in different systems and organs. This paper includes a presentation of techniques used to study the degree of cure and monomer leaching, currently available data from in vitro and in vivo research approaches and the potential clinical impact of in vivo findings.