Evaluation of the friction generated by self-ligating and conventional bracket-systems in various bracket-archwire combinations: An in vitro study

Abstract

The aim of the study is to compare the frictional resistance generated between two types of self-ligating brackets; Smart-Clip Metal SL (3M Unitek) and Damon Clear SL (Ormco), with conventional stainless steel brackets, Victory Series (3M Unitek) when coupled with various stainless steel and nickel-titanium archwires. Materials and Methods: All brackets had a 0.022" slot and tested using three archwires: 0.016" nickel-titanium, 0.019 x 0.025" nickel-titanium and 0.019 x 0.025" stainless steel archwires. Friction was evaluated for the upper right quadrant of the typodont. For each testing procedure, new brackets and archwire was employed to eliminate the influence of wear. Results: The mean results showed that the Smart-Clip self-ligating brackets generated significantly lower friction than both the Damon Clear self-ligating brackets and Victory Series brackets. However, the analysis of the various bracket-archwire combinations displayed that Damon Clear SL brackets generated the lowest friction when tested with 0.016" round nickeltitanium archwire and significantly higher friction than Smart-Clip and Victory Series brackets when tested with 0.019 x 0.025" stainless steel rectangular archwires. All brackets showed higher frictional forces as the wire size increased. Clinical relevance: The production of high levels of friction during orthodontic sliding mechanics presents a clinical challenge to the orthodontists. The generation of high levels of friction may reduce the effectiveness of the mechanics, decrease tooth movement efficiency and further complicate anchorage control. The amount of friction is variable in the orthodontic system and can be altered somewhat by the orthodontist's choices.