Properties And Applications Of Different Archwire Materials
Write short notes on archwire materials.
Answer. Archwire is one of the active components of fixed orthodontic appliances, which when used brings about various tooth movements (tipping, bodily, torque, rotational, and vertical movements) through the medium of brackets and welded buccal tube on the palatal aspect of the molar bands.
Archwire Materials
- Gold
- Gold alloy were used in the manufacture of orthodontic archwire.
- Gold and gold alloy archwire exhibit excellent formability, environmental stability and biocompatibility.
- Main drawbacks of these arch wires include high cost, low springback and low yield strength.
- Stainless Steel
- Stainless steel archwire exhibit adequate strength, high resilience, formability, high stiffess, biocompatibility and economical.
- Drawback of these archwires includes high modulus of elasticity; more frequent activations are required to maintain the same force level.
- Nickel-Titanium Alloys
- Nickel titanium alloys, known as Nitinol (Nickel Titanium Naval Ordinance Laboratory), were invented by William R Buchler at the Naval Ordinance Laboratory.
- The main advantage of this alloy over others is the high elasticity and shape back memory.
- The drawback of these archwires is that they cannot be welded or soldered and cannot receive bends or loops or helices.
- Beta-Titanium or TMA or CAN Wire
- The main advantages of these archwires include a high range of action, high spring back, receiving bends, loops, and helices and they can be welded or soldered.
- Cobalt-Chromium-Nickel Alloy
- Cobalt-chromium-nickel alloy is also known as Elgiloy.
- These wires exhibit excellent formability, jointability, springback, and biocompatibility.
- Optiflx Archwire
- Optiflx archwires are composed of clear optical fibers and are, therefore, highly esthetic.
- The drawback of these archwires is that they cannot receive sharp bends.
- Multistrand Archwire
- Multistranded archwires are made up of several thin wires.
- They can be round or rectangular and braided or twisted and may have three strands or six strands.
- The main advantage of these archwires is that they exhibit increased flexibility.
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