Previously, solutions based on polyacrylic acid have been found to initiate crystal growth on the enamel surface. Such crystals have been proposed as being suitable for the attachment of orthodontic brackets via a conventional composite interface, the advantages being improved clean-up characteristics and reduced damage to the enamel. In order to try and improve the reliability of the technique this base solution has been modified by the authors, by the addition of various ionic salts. The strength of the resultant bond was assessed for the base solution of 50 per cent polyacrylic acid and concentrated sulphuric, and for three more solutions modified by the addition of the sulphates of lithium, magnesium, and potassium, respectively. A standard acid/etch method of bracket attachment was also included for the purposes of comparison. The bond strength of each material was assessed by shear testing, performed on human extracted premolar teeth to a standard method. As might have been expected the acid/etch system proved to be the strongest method of bonding brackets. Amongst the crystal solutions, the addition of lithium sulphate provided the highest mean shear strength at 80 per cent of that for acid etch. Therefore, this latter solution provides the most potential for development in the future.