An orthodontic adhesive (10) includes components capable of allowing easy debonding of an orthodontic device (12) from a patient's tooth (14). The adhesive includes an engineered marine mussel protein. The adhesive (10) may include at least one photocleavable moiety. The adhesive (10) is applied in one or more individual layers. One of the components of the adhesive (10) is capable of binding to a tooth and the other component may be capable of binding to an orthodontic device (12). A method of adhering an orthodontic device (12) to a tooth (14) includes applying a layer of an orthodontic adhesive (10) to either the tooth (14) or the orthodontic device (12) or the tooth (14) and the orthodontic device (12) and affixing the orthodontic device (12) to the tooth with the orthodontic adhesive (10) situated between the tooth (14) and the orthodontic device (12). The engineered marine mussel protein includes one or more catechol moieties or one or more derivatives of a catechol moiety.
