Wires In

Orthodontics
Presented by : Dr. Anuj Suri
M.D.S. Part II
Dept. Of Orthodontics ,B.V.
Dental College & Hospital

Introduction
The development of the various
orthodontic treatment modalities
available today would not have been
possible without the introduction
of metal and alloy in the form of
wires in different dimensions,
shapes and configurations.

A BRIEF REVIEW
Before Angle began his search for
new materials , orthodontists made
attachments from noble metals and
their alloys . Gold (at least 75%, to
avoid discoloration ), platinum,
iridium, and silver alloys were
esthetically pleasing and corrosion
resistant , but they lacked flexibility
and tensile strength .

In 1887 Angle tried replacing noble metals

with German silver , a brass . His
contemporary , J.N. Farrar , condemned the
use of the new alloy, showing that it
discoloured in the mouth .
In 1888, by varying the proportion of
Copper, Nickel, Zinc around the average
composition of Neusilber brass(German
silver : 65% Cu, 14% Ni, 21% Zn), as well as
by applying cold working operations at
various degrees of plastic deformation , as a
result , Angle made German silver rigid
enough for expansion arches , or malleable
enough for bands .

The material that was to truly displace

noble metals was stainless steel . As
with
German
silver
,it
had
its
opponents . As late as 1934 Emil Herbst
held that gold was stronger than
stainless steel in wire form , and he
complained that he could not gild
stainless steel without exfoliation. If
forced to choose , he even preferred
German silver to stainless steel .

BASIC PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF

ARCHWIRE MATERIALS
Andreasen
and
Morrow
(1978)
Goldberg
and
Burstone
(1979)
Burstone and Goldberg (1980) and
Kapila and Sachedeva (1989) have
described a number of characteristics
of archwires which are desirable for
optimum
performance
during
treatment.

STRESS (S, I)
Stress is the internal distribution of the
load measured as force per unit area i.e.,
Force/Original area.
For simple compression or tension the
stress is given by the expression,
Stress =F/A
Where, F= force applied
A= cross-sectional area

Stress is measured in common

units of psi or Mpa (Mega Pascal).

1 Pascal stress resulting from a

force of 1 Newton (N) acting upon 1
sq. meter of surface and is equal to
1.145 x 103 psi, (1000 psi = 6.894
Mpa).

One test method commonly used for dental

materials is the three point bending test or

transverse test.
When an external force is applied to the mid
point of the test beam, the stress can be
resolved. The numerical value of stress is given
by the expression,

Stress = 3FL where,

2bd
L = distance between the supports
b = width of the specimen
d = depth of the specimen

When
a wire is compressed across the
diameter ,a tensile stress is set up in the
specimen, the value of stress is being given by
Stress = 2F
D T

At the axis of cylinder/wire.

F = applied force
D = diameter of wire
T = length of the wire

This type of test is referred to as a diametral

compressive tensile test and is usually used when
conventional tensile testing is difficult to carry out.

TYPES OF STRESS
Tension or Tensile stress : It tends to pull
the material apart or tends to stretch or
elongate a body.
Compression or compressive stress : It is
the direct opposite of tension stress. If a body
is placed under a force, that tends to
compress or shorten it, the internal resistance
to such a force is called as compressive strain.
Shear stress : A stress that is applied by two
forces acting in opposite directions but not in
the same line. These stresses tend to slide one
part of the material past another along planes
parallel to the applied force.

STRAIN ()

Strain is the internal distortion produced by

load or a stress, i.e., change in length per unit
length when stress is applied.
The numerical value of strain is given by
the expression
Strain = L
L

= change in length
original length

The common units of strain are inch per

inch or centimeter per centimeter.

Hookes Law
Within the elastic range, the
material deforms in direct
proportion to the stress applied, i.e.,
f = E or
stress = Modulus of elasticity x strain

MODULUS OF ELASTICITY
(Youngs modulus) (E)

It is defined as the ratio between a unit stress

and a unit strain, usually expressed as
pound/square inch (psi) or mega pascal (Mpa).
It is an index of stiffness or flexibility of a
material within the elastic range. And is given
by :
Stress (I)
E = --------------------Strain ()

PROPORTIONAL LIMIT (IPL) or (P)

It is the point at which the first
deformation occurs. It is the
maximum stress at which the
straight line relationship between
stress and strain (Hookes Law) is
valid

ELASTIC LIMIT (IEL) (E)

It corresponds to the stress beyond
which strains are not fully
recovered. It is the maximum stress
that a material can withstand
without permanent deformations.

YIELD STRENGTH (Ys) or (IYS)

It is the practical indicator at which
the first deformation is measured. It
is measured by pounds per square
inch.
the point at which a plastic
deformation of 0.1 % is measured
and is called yield strength (YS).

ULTIMATE TENSILE STRENGTH

(UTS)
It is the maximum load carrying
capacity of the wire before it
fractures.
It represents the maximum stress
required to fracture a material.

DUCTILITY
It is the ability of a material to be
plastically strained in tension i.e.,
ability of a material to withstand
permanent deformation under a
tensile load without rupture.

ELONGATION
It is the deformation as a result of tensile force
application.
It is usually expressed as percentage elongation
and is equal to
L
increase in length
--------------- x 100 or --------------------- x 100
L0 original length

MALLEABILITY
The ability of a
withstand permanent
without rupture under
as in hammering or
sheets.

material to
deformation
compression
rolling into

Gold
-Most ductile and most
malleable
Silver
-next to most ductile
and malleable
Platinum -Third most ductile
Copper

-Third most malleable

RESILIENCE ( stored or spring

energy)
Resilience represents the energy storage
capacity of a wire, when it is stressed not
to exceed its proportional limit. ie., It is
the energy absorbed by a wire in
undergoing elastic deformation upto the
elastic limit.
The energy stored is released when the
wire springs back to its original shape
after removal of an applied stress.

FORMABILITY
Formability
is
amount
of
permanent deformation that a wire
will withstand before failing i.e.
before breaking or fracture.

FLEXIBILITY
It is the measure of the strain that a wire
can withstand without undergoing plastic
deformation.
A material is said to be flexible if it
withstands the strain or the load up to its
proportional limit without deforming
permanently.
It is a non-specific term denoting the ease
of bending.
It may indicate low stiffness, low strength,
high working range or low brittleness,
either singly or in any combination.

LOAD DEFLECTION
RATE
For a given
load (force) the
deflection
observed within
the elastic limit
is known as
load deflection
rate.

With regard to active members, a low load

deflection rate is desirable for the reasons
given below :-

A mechanism with a low load deflection

rate will maintain a more desirable stress
level in the periodontal ligament, since
the force on a tooth will not radically
change magnitude any time the tooth as
been displaced.

Also a low load deflection rate

member offers greater accuracy in
control over force magnitude eg. If
we use a high load deflection
spring, it is possible that the load
deflection rate might be 1000
gm/mm. This would mean that an
error in adjustment of 1 mm could
produce an error in force value of
approximately 1000 grams.

If a low load deflection rate is

desirable for an active member of
the appliance, the opposite is true
for a reactive member. The reactive
member should be relatively rigid
i.e., it should have a high load
deflection rate.

SPRINGBACK (Range of
action) AND SPRINGINESS
Springback ability of a wire is a
measure of its ability to undergo
large deflections without permanent
deformation. In other words if a wire
can be deflected over long distances
without permanent deformation, it
has a high spring back value.

It is expressed as YS/E i.e., the

ratio of yield strength to modulus of
elasticity which represents the
approximate amount of elastic
strain released by the wire on
unloading.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Stabilised nickel titanium
The alloy has a fixed composition,
which is incapable of demonstrating
changes in its crystal structure. Its
elastic properties are the result of
its inherently stable structure.

Active nickel titanium The

alloy has a fixed composition, but is
capable of undergoing changes in
its crystal structure when stress or
temperature is applied .
Active austenitic On
application of stress, the nickel
titanium demonstrates a change in
crystal structure from austenitic to
martensitic.

Active martensitic On
application of heat at the relevant
transition temperature, the nickel
titanium demonstrates a change in
crystal structure from martensitic
to austenitic
Transition Temperature The
temperature range over which the
alloy structure changes from the
martensitic to the austenitic phase.

Hysteresis The temperature lag

between the gelatin temperature
and the liquefaction temperature of
the gel is known as hysteresis.
Hysteresis curve A non linear
stress/strain curve, where the
loading curve differs from the
unloading curve.

Super elasticity A term confined to

those materials demonstrating unique
hysteresis curves under conditions of
varying temperature or stress.
Shape memory - This indicates that
a material will return to its desired
shape. In order for the term to have
clinical meaning the means by which
the material is able to demonstrate
this effect needs to be specified, for
example,
thermodynamic
shape
memory,
or
superelastic
shape
memory.


Thermodynamic This refers to
the ability of an archwire to return
to its intended shape once heated
through its transition temperature.
To
be
of
clinical
value,
thermodynamic archwires must
have a transition range close to
mouth temperature.

THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF

METALS AND ALLOYS AND THEIR
APPLICATION IN WIRE FORM IN
ORTHODONTICS
the flexural rigidity (EI) ;
the resistance to distortion ;
the susceptibility to fracture

THE FLEXURAL
RIGIDITY (EI)

The flexural rigidity of a wire is the

product of the Youngs modulus (E)
and a factor (I) known as the second
moment of inertia of the crosssection of the wire.
The factor I depends on the shape
and dimensions of the cross-section
of a wire, and determines how stiff a
wire (with a given Youngs Modulus)
will be.

For a circular cross-section, for

example,
I = R4 / 4
Where, R is the radius of the crosssection.
The second moment of inertia of the
cross-section (I) increases greatly as
the radius of the wire is increased.

Doubling the radius (holding

everything else constant) therefore
increases the force applied by a
spring by (2)4, i.e., by 16 times.
More practically, for a given deflection,
the use of 0.6 mm diameter wire
instead of 0.5 mm will double the
force applied.
Again, replacing 0.5 mm wire by 0.7
mm will increase the stiffness of an
appliance by nearly 4 times.

The Flexural Rigidity may be determined

experimentally for a wire by mounting
the latter as a simple cantilever and
measuring the deflection for various
loads applied to the free end.
The value of Flexural Rigidity (EI) can be
deduced from the relationship between
force applied (p) and the deflection (y) of
the free end of the cantilever, i.e.
P/y = 3EI / l3

THE RESISTANCE OF
WIRES
TO
DISTORTION
If a load is applied to the free end of

a
simple cantilever, the upper layers of the
wire are extended and the lower layers
are compressed.
At any given cross-section of the wire the
variation in the magnitude and direction
of these internal stresses, from the outer
to the inner surfaces of curvature,
constitutes a series of couples whose
resultant, the moment of resistance, is
equal in magnitude and opposite in sense
to the Bending Moment at the
crosssection considered.

The
maximum
fibre
stress
occurring in the outermost layers of
a bent wire at any point may be
calculated from the expression
max = GR/I
where,
max is the maximum fibre stress.
G is the Bending Moment at that
point,
R is the radius of the wire,
I is the second moment of inertia of
the cross-section.

Provided the maximum fibre stress,

max, is less than the effective yield
stress, eff, the wire will behave
elastically and return to its rest position
when released. If, however, max is
greater than eff at any point along a
wire, permanent plastic deformation will
take place.
The necessary condition for distortion to
occur may therefore be written
GR
eff
I

SUSCEPTIBILITY TO
FRACTURE
It is usually assumed that appliances

occasionally fail because of metal fatigue

induced by the repeated stressing of the
wire.
A study, however, of the fatigue life of 2cm finger springs by Bass and Stephens
(1970) showed that these springs were
capable of withstanding over 1,00,000
flexes when the distance of flexure was
7.5 mm.

Harcourt and Munns (1967) have

investigated finger springs fractured in
use and conclude that fatigue failure is
less likely to occur than failure due to
surface defects produced by the pliers
during fabrication or by an abrasion
wheel when the appliance is being
trimmed, finished or fitted.
They also emphasize that an appliance
should be adjusted by bending an
unstressed part of the wire, to avoid
deforming any part of the appliance
which has already been cold worked.

STRENGTH
It is a force value that is a measure
of the maximum possible load,i.e.,
the greatest force that a wire can
sustain or deliver, if it is loaded to
the limit of the material.
It is equivalent to the proportional
limit (PL) or approximately the yield
strength (YS) of the wire segment.

Considering
the
graphic representation
of the stress strain
curve three points can
be
taken
as
representative of the
strength of a material
- elastic limit
- yield point
--ultimate
strength

tensile

STIFFNESS
It is the rate of force delivery
required for a unit activation .
It is the measure of the force
required to bend or otherwise
deform the material to a definite
distance.

Stiffness is proportional to the

modulus
of
elasticity
and
crosssection of a given wire and is
not appreciably influenced by any
hardening treatment.
Stiffness and springiness
reciprocal properties.
Springiness = 1 / stiffness.

are

According to the force

deflection curve,
stiffness and
springiness are
proportional to the
slope of the elastic
portion of the curve.
The more horizontal
the slope, the
springier the wire,
the more vertical the
slope the stiffer the
wire.

Stiffness of wire depends on two

fundamental factors
1. Composition and structure of wire
alloy
2. The wire segment geometrically i.e.,
the cross section, shape, size and the
segment length, i.e.,
Ed/L

IMPORTANCE OF
STIFFNESS
Stiffness should be the first criteria

in the selection of wire as it

determines the relationship between
force and deflection in ideal working
range.
Stiffness tells how far the tooth will
be moved by a specific force and
conversely how much force will be
applied at a certain deflection.

If only stiffness is considered, any of

the commonly used material can be
used interchangeably by merely
selecting a suitable diameter of wire
and for each material.
Wires of equal stiffness will behave
identically below the point at which
they take a permanent set, regardless
of the material.

RANGE

Range is defined as the maximum

amount of elastic activation before
the onset of a permanent or plastic
deformation.
Range is usually determined from
the 0.1% offset point on the force
deflection diagram.

Strength,Stiffness and Range have

an important relationship,i.e.,
Strength = Stiffness x Range

The stiffer a wire, the springiness

comparatively decreases and vice versa.

Stiffness = Ed/L, higher

modulus, stiffer the wire.

the

elastic

FACTORS AFFECTING
STIFFNESS, STRENGTH AND
RANGE

The mechanical arrangement by which

force is applied to the teeth , i.e.,
-bracket width
-length of archwire
-interbracket span
-loop configuration

The second factor is the form of the

wire itself the size and shape of
crossection.
The third factor is the material.
Including the alloy formula,
its
hardness and the state of heat
treatment.

Effects of size and shape

on elastic properties

A beam is any relatively slender

structure subjected to lateral (bending)
loads. An orthodontic archwire functions
mechanically as a beam
With just a moderate understanding of
the principles of beam behavior, an
orthodontist can predict the function of
an archwire in the mouth without
resorting to mathematical calculations.

Beams function by bending, whether

they are supporting a building or
moving a tooth.
A beam in a building must bend very
little, but in orthodontics, we are more
often looking for the exact opposite i.e. ,
an archwire with the greatest possible
flexibility.

Each of the major elastic properties

strength , stiffness and range- is
substantially affected by a change in
geometry of the beam.

Both the cross-section and length of

beam are of great significance in
determining its properties.

Changes related to size and shape are

independent of the material. In other
words, decreasing the diameter of a
steel beam by 50% would reduce its
strength to a specific percentage of
what it had been previously.
Decreasing the diameter of the TMA
beam by 50% would reduce its strength
by exactly the same percentage.

Effects of diameter or
cross section

Effects of length and

attachment

Springiness increases as a cubic

function of the increase in length of
the beam, while strength decreases
only in direct proportion.
Thus a relatively large wire selected
for its strength, can be given the
desired
spring
qualities
by
increasing its length.

Effects of varying materials on

orthodontic force
The best balance of strength ,
springiness and range must be
sought among the almost
innumerable possible combinations
of beam materials, diameter and
length.

Variable Crosssection Orthodontics

Versus Variable Modulus
Orthodontics

Variable cross-section orthodontics,

the traditional orthodontics, involves
the use of small wires for light force
and larger for heavier forces.
Variable
modulus
orthodontics
involves taking advantage of the
different materials in respect of
stiffness and load deflection rate
while maintaining the same crosssection.

The
overall
stiffness
of
the
appliance (S) is determined by two
factors:
one factor relates to wire itself, (Ws)
The other factor is the design of the
appliance (As)
Therefore,
S= Ws x As

One can obtain full range

of forces by varying the
material of the wire and
keeping the cross-section
constant.

THANK YOU

WIRES
Composition
Manufacturing & Heat
Treatment
Properties

GOLD ALLOY WIRES

The first wire introduced for
orthodontic purpose was made of
gold
Gold arch wires were the ideal
choice of arch wires with good biocompatibility.

Composition of many gold alloy

wires corresponds to the type IV
gold casting alloys

They are also subjected to softening

and hardening heat treatments.

Many wires appear to contain less

than 60% gold with some
containing less than 25 to 30% or
even less.

The palladium content of the alloy

is relatively high, which gives a
composition closely resembling
white gold casting alloys.

Palladium and platinum cause rise

in the melting point, improves
corrosion resistance and increases
hardness and strength during heat
treatment.
the copper content of most wires is
well above 9%, which suggests that
gold wires should be subjected to
ordered gold copper formation when
heated at appropriate low
temperatures.

Gold alloys used, can be called to a

large extent as binary alloys, as only
gold and copper are major metals
used.

These binary alloys to a large extent

exhibit severe grain growth on
heating and have poor ductility in
the hardened state.

The addition of rhodium, iridium or

cobalt reduces the rate of grain
growth on heating.

After age hardening, these complex

gold alloys, will have higher values
of tensile strength and hardness.

HEAT TREATMENT OF
GOLD WIRES
The changes that are produced in
the strength and ductility of a
wrought gold alloy by heat
treatment are due to the alterations
in the gold copper compound
present in the alloy.

Softening heat treatment is undertaken

initially by heating the wire to 1300 F,
for approximately ten minutes and then
quenching it.
Softening of the alloys is produced as
the gold copper alloy enters into solid
solution at 1300 F.
All of the hardening elements are
completely dissolved in each other in
solid solution, the space lattice is free to
move on the slip planes without
interference.

Increased number of slip planes, causes

increased ductility of the wire.
After the wire is heated to 1300F, it is
immediately quenched to retain the super
saturated condition of the gold copper
compound that tends to come out of the
solution. This causes the formation of
segregated molecules which produce a
locking effect on the space lattice and
causes resistance to slip.

The space lattice itself is also

distorted to some degree, thus
decreasing the number of planes on
which slip can occur. In this way
the material becomes stronger and
more resilient.

Since the composition of gold wires

differ phenomenally, no one heat
treatment will produce optimal
results for all wires.
Hence it is best for the orthodontist
to
follow
manufacturers
recommendations when the alloys
are used.

Besides (age) precipitation

hardening, cold working of gold
alloys increases strength of the
wrought gold wires. The alloy
hardens as the grain structure
becomes broken up and the space
lattice is distorted during cold
working.

This type of hardening is easily

relieved by heating the wire to
recrystallization temperatures,
recrystallization will take place and
allow the atoms to return to normal
position in the space lattice.

PROPERTIES OF GOLD
WIRES
Yield strength of the gold

wires
range from 50,000 to 1,60,000 psi,
depending on the alloy and
condition,
with
corresponding
elongations of 3-16%.
Modulus of elasticity of gold copper
alloys is approximately 15,000,000
psi. The combination of these
properties makes gold very formable
and capable of delivering lower
forces than stainless steel

STAINLESS STEEL ALLOY

Stainless steel wires began to
replace gold wires in the 1930s .

Steels are iron based alloys that

usually contain less than 1.2%
carbon.
When 12-30% chromium is added
to steel the alloy is commonly called
STAINLESS STEEL.

COMPOSITION
Type
(Space Lattice)

Chromium

Nickel

Carbon

Ferritic (BCC)

11.5-27

0.20 max

Austenitic(FCC)

16.0-26

7-22

0.25 max

Martensitic(BCT)

11.5-17

0-2.5

0.15-1.2 max

Silicon , phosphorous ,sulphur,

manganese, tantalum, and niobium
may also be present in small
amounts. The balance is iron.

Ferritic Stainless Steel

These alloys are often designated as American
Iron and Steel Institute(AISI) Series 400
stainless steels.
The ferritic alloys provide good corrosion
resistance at a low cost , provided that high
strength is not required.
Because temperature change induces no phase
change in the solid state , the alloy is not
hardenable by heat treatment. Also , ferritic
stainless steel is not readily workhardenable .
This series of alloys finds little application in
dentistry.

Martensitic Stainless Steel

Martensitic stainless steel alloys share

the AISI 400 designation with the
ferritic alloys.
They can be heat treated in the same
manner as plain carbon steels , with
similar results.
Because of their higher strength and
hardness, martensitic stainless steels
are used for surgical and cutting
instruments.

Austenitic Stainless Steel

The austenitic stainless steel alloys are the
most corrosion resistant of the stainless
steels.
AISI 302 is the basic type , containing 18%
chromium , 8% nickel , and 0.15%
carbon . Type 304 has a similar
composition , but the chief difference is its
reduced carbon content (0.08%).

Both 302 and 304 stainless steel

may be designated as
18-8
stainless steel ; they are the types
most commonly used by the
orthodontist in the form of band
and wires .
Type
316L
(0.03%
maximum
carbon) is the type ordinarily
employed for implants.

The alloying elements Chromium and

Nickel maintains austenite at room
temperature and prevents conversion of
face centered cubic lattice structure of
austenite to a martensitic cubic lattice
structure.
By nature austenite is mallable and
ductile whereas martensite is hard and
brittle. By maintaining austenite at room
temperature, several uses of austenitic
stainless stell are made use of in
orthodontics, such as wires, bands,
instruments etc.

Tarnish and corrosion are resisted by

stainless steel due to the passivating effect
of chromium.
A thin , transparent but tough impervious
chromiumoxide layer forms on the surface
of the alloy when it is subjected to an
oxidizing temperature as mild as clean air
or atmospheric room air. This protective
oxide layer prevents tarnish and corrosion,
but can be ruptured by mechanical or
chemical means resulting in corrosion.
However ,the passivating oxide layer
eventually forms again in an oxidizing
environment

Chromium
loss
sensitization.

is

called

A procedure to introduce some

element that precipitates carbide in
preference to chromium preferably
titanium is called stabilization.

HEAT TREATMENT OF
STAINLESS
STEEL
ALLOYof
The
physical
properties

orthodontic stainless steel wires

improve by heat treatment at low
temperatures between 750 C to
820 C for ten minutes and at a
lower temperature of 250 C for
twenty minutes.
By heat treatment residual stresses
are
removed,
hence
further
application of stresses will not
exceed the elastic strength of the
metal.

CORROSION OF
STAINLESS STEEL
Any
surface
inhomogenecity,
surface roughness, incorporation of
bits of carbon steel, soldered joints
and treatment with chlorine causes
corrosion of the stainless steel.

PROPERTIES OF
AlloySTAINLESS
Modulus of
0.2%STEEL
Offset
Ultimate

Stainless
Steel

Elasticity
(10 MPa)

Yield
Strength
(MPa)

Tensile
Strength
(MPa)

Number
of
90-degree
Cold Bends
without
fracture

179

1579

2117

AUSTRALIAN ORTHODONTIC
ARCHWIRE

Claude, Arthur. J. Wilcock of

Victoria, Australia, produced the
orthodontic archwire to meet Dr.
Beggs needs for use in Begg
technique.
The wire produced has certain
unique
characteristics
different
from usual stainless steel wires .

Grading and colour coding of

Australian Orthodontic Arch wires
REGULAR GRADE : White label.
Lowest grade and easiest to bend.
Used for practice bending or
forming auxillaries. It can be used
for archwires when distortion and
bite opening are not a problem.

REGULAR PLUS GRADE : Green Label

Relatively easy to form, yet more resilient
than regular grade. Used for auxillaires
and archwires when more pressure and
resistance to deformation is required.
SPECIAL GRADE : Black Label.
Highly resilient, yet can be formed into
intricate shapes with little danger of
breakage.

SPECIAL PLUS GRADE : Orange Label

Hardness and resiliency of the wire are
excellent for supporting anchorage and
reducing deep overbites.
EXTRA SPECIAL PLUS GRADE :Blue
Label.
Highly resilient and hard, difficult to bend
and subjects to fracture.

Supreme Grade : Blue Label.

Primarily used in early treatment for
correction of rotations, alignment and
leveling. Although supreme wire exceeds
the yield strength of E.S.P. It is intended
for use in either short sections or full
arches where sharp bends are not
required.
The flexibility of supreme wire is
comparable to that of Nickel- Titanium
wires and has the added advantage of
good formability.

Each grade of wire is available in diameters

of 0.010, 0.012, 0.014, 0.016, 0.018,
0.020, 0.022. They are supplied in the
form of spools or cut lengths of the wire.
With the demand from the orthodontic
faculty for more harder wires , even higher
grades , premium and premium plus wires
were developed .

The fundamental difference for the

superior properties of these new
wires is the use of a new
manufacturing process called pulse
straightening as against the
spinner straightening procedure
used earlier .

The new grades and sizes of wire makes

available are:

Premium

Sizes Available
: .020

Premium Plus :.010,.O12,.014,.016, .

018
Supreme

:.008, .009, .010, .011.

HEAT TREATMENT OF
AUSTRALIAN
WIRE
Since 1970s preformed archwires ,

torquing auxillaries and uprighting springs

have been available commercially .
Attempting to straighten the high tensile
wire , for subsequent forming into
appliance leads to frequent breakage .
The low and medium grade wires exhibit
better formability as they are subjected to
less work hardening and hence are more
ductile .

Till then the wires were straightened

by
what
is
called
spinner
straightening, usually in the cold
hard drawn condition . The wire is
pulled through high speed rotating
bronze rollers which torsionally
twist the wire into a straightened
condition This can result in
permanent deformation.

Presently
the
premium
and
supreme wires are straightened by a
process called pulse straightening
.Though the exact procedure ,
presumably remains a trade secret ,
it enables to straighten these high
yield strength wires , without
structural deformation and altering
the physical properties.

The properties of the wire are affected by

the way the wire is straightened before
bending it to form any component of the
appliance .
If the wires are straightened by the process
of reverse straining, meaning flexing in a
direction opposite to that of the original
bend, the yield point of the wire
reduces(this is what is done manually in a
clinical setting).
The phenomenon is known as work
softening due to reverse straining or the
Bauschinger Effect , named after the
person who described it for the first time .

PROPERTIES OF
AUSTRALIAN WIRES

These are ultra high tensile austenitic

stainless steel arch wires.
The wires are resilient, certain bends
when incorporated into the arch form and
pinned to the teeth become activated by
which stresses are produced within the
wires which generates forces. The
magnitude and continued application of
the resolved sum of these forces are vital
for efficient functioning of the appliance.

The wires must be sufficiently

resilient
to
resist
permanent
deformation and maintain their
activation, for maximum control of
anchorage.

All these properties make these wires

very hard and brittle.

CHROME COBALT ALLOY

A cobalt-chromium-nickel
orthodontic
wire
alloy
was
developed during the 1950s by the
Elgiloy Corporation(Elgin, IL,USA).
Initially it was manufactured for
watch springs by Elgin watch
company, hence the name Elgiloy.
Marketed
as
Elgiloy,
Azura,
Multiphase etc.

COMPOSITION
Chrome cobalt alloy is a cobalt base
alloy containing 40% cobalt, 20%
chromium,
15%
nickel,
7%
Molybdenum,
2%
manganese,
0.16% carbon, 0.04% beryllium and
15.8% iron.

TYPES OF CHROME
COBALTelgiloy
ALLOY
WIRES
Blue(soft)
: Can
be bent

easily
with finger pressure
and pliers.
Heat treatment of blue elgiloy increases
its resistance to deformation.
Yellow elgiloy : Relatively ductile and
more resilient than blue elgiloy. Further
increase in its resilience and spring
performance can be achieved by heat
treatment.

Green elgiloy : More resilient than yellow

elgiloy and can be shaped with pliers
before heat treatment.

Red elgiloy : Most resilient of elgiloy

wires,
with
high
spring
qualities,
withstands only minimal work hardening.
Heat treatment makes it extremely
resilient.

HEAT TREATMENT OF
COBALT- CHROME ALLOY

The ideal temperature for heat treatment

is 900 F or 482C for 7 to 12 minutes, in
a dental furnace.
This causes precipitation hardening of
the alloy increasing the resistance of the
wire to deformation.This heat treatment
would increase the yield strength and
decrease the ductility.

Electrical heat treatment using a

heat treatment unit can also be
used with a temperature indication
paste, wet cotton has to be placed at
the ends of the wire.

Heat treatment(of Blue Elgiloy)

increases flexural yield strength(2030%), modulus of elasticity(10%),
reduces failure to corrosion in
localized areas where stresses can
get concentrated.

PROPERTIES OF CHROME
COBALT ALLOY

Alloy

Modulus of
Elasticity
(10 MPa)

0.2% Offset
Yield
Strength
(MPa)

Ultimate
Tensile
Strength
(MPa)

Number of
90-degree
Cold Bends
without
fracture

Chrome
Cobalt

184

1413

1682

These wires have the following

advantages:1.Tarnish and corrosion resistance are
excellent
2.Hardness ,yield strength ,and tensile
strength are approximately same as those
of 18"-8" stainless steel.
3. Ductility in the softened condition is
greater than that of 18-8 stainless steel
alloys and less than the alloys in the
hardened condition.

NICKEL TITANIUM ALLOY

William F. Buehler in 1960s
invented Nitinol
Ni Nickel
ti-titanium
Nol-Naval Ordinance
Laboratory,U.S.A.,

Andreasen G.F. and coworkers introduced the use

of nickel-titanium alloys for
orthodontic use in the
1970s.

COMPOSITION
55% nickel, 45% titanium
resulting in one to one steiochromatic
ratio of these elements.
1.6% cobalt also is added to obtain
desirable properties.

PROPERTIES
Transition Temperature Range :
TTR
Shape Memory
Super elasticity

Transition Temperature
Range : TTR

Transition temperature range is a

specific temperature range when the
alloy nickel titanium on cooling
undergoes
martensitic
transformation
from
cubic
crystallographic lattice.

It is found to be in martensitic
crystallographic
lattices
consisting of lesser symmetric
lattices like monoclinic, orthor
hombic,
tetragonal
crystallographic structures at
lower temperatures
In martensitic phase the alloy
cannot be plastically deformed.

At higher temperatures the alloy

is
found
to
be
in
cubic
crystallographic lattice consisting
of
body
centered
cubic
crystallographic structures.
It is also known as Austenitic
phase of the alloy.
Plastic
deformation
can
be
induced, in austenitic phase of the
alloy.

The same plastic deformation

induced at the higher temperature
returns back when the alloy is
heated through a temperature
range known as reverse
transformation (transition)
temperature range, RTTR.
Any plastic deformation below or
in the TTR is recoverable when the
wire is heated through RTTR.

TTR of nickel titanium alloy is

between 482 - 510 C when the alloy
is cooled from higher temperature
which is very high for clinical usage.
Substitution of 1.6% cobalt results in
formation of TiNi and TiCo which have
transition temperature ranges of
+164.6 C (+330 F) for TiNi and
237.2 C (-395 F) for TiCo giving a
very wide transition temperature
range.

Shape Memory
It is the phenomenon, where in if
a plastic deformation incurred
within or below the TTR, it is
recoverable within certain strain
limits of 8%, which is the outer
fibre strain limit of the wire.

The nitinol wire should be

plastically deformed at a lower
temperature and casted. The
casted wire should be placed in
the oven and heated between
482 C to 510 C. Plastic
deformation occurs and the
wire is then placed in the
refrigerator.

On cooling the wire comes back to the

original shape. It is then heated again
and plastic deformation is induced
after which the wire is again placed in
the oven, followed with freezing.
This heating followed by freezing is
continued until the wire retains the
shape exhibited at higher temperature
even at room temperature.

Hence the preformed nitinol

arch will have a second
Transition
Temperature
Range (TTR) which is lower
and clinically applicable.

Andreasen introduced 0.019

inch thermal nitinol wire with
a transition temperature range
between 31 C and 45 C.
Body or mouth temperature
acted as the RTTR to activate
the wire after placement in the
brackets.

Super elasticity
It is the property of the wire
explained as even when the
strain is added, the rate of
stress increase levels off due to
the progressive deformation
produced by the stress induced
martinsitic transformation.

This property can be produced

by stress and not temperature
difference.Therefore it is called
as stress induced martensitic
transformation.

Another wire called the Japanese Niti wire

introduced by Fujio Miura is manufactured
by a different process and demonstrates
super elasticity.
Another nickel titanium alloy introduced
by Burstone developed by Dr Tien Hua
Cheng called as Chinese Niti alloy
exhibits superior spring back property
when compared to Nitinol due to little work
hardening and presence of the parent
phase which is austenite yielding better
mechanical properties.

HEAT TREATMENT OF THE

JAPANESE NI-TI WIRE
A new type of heat treatment was
reported by Fujio Miura and associates
which is known as Direct Electric
Resistance Heat Treatment (DERHT).
An electric current is directly passed
through the wire, thus generating
enough heat to make it possible to
bend it as well as impart change in the
super elastic property of the wire.

With DERHT method, excellent

spring back properties of the
wire are not diminished and it
is possible to apply optimal
force to each tooth with a single
archwire.

Heat treating equipment consists of

an electric power supply, a pair of
electric pliers, an electric arch
holder.
Electric
power
supply
consists of a transformer, a timer,
an electric current meter and a foot
switch. The amount of heat can be
controlled by amperage and the
heating time.

For smaller diameter wires lesser

current is required. For eg : 0.022
wire requires 8.0A for 2.0 seconds,
0.014 wire requires 3.5A for 2.0
seconds.
The DERHT method utilizes the
electric resistance of the wire to
generate heat.

In spite of resulting molecular rearrangement

the
mechanical
properties of the wire are unchanged.

The equipment in the DERHT

method is light in weight, in addition
a distinct advantage is with the pair of
electric pliers and the electric arch
holder, it is possible to heat treat only
the desired section of the wire.

Load Deflection curves for the three segments of

the archwire,showing the effect of heat treatment

By utilizing DERHT method, it is

possible to alter the super elastic
characteristics of the wire in any
desired section. An electric current
of 3.5A transmitted through an
electric arch holder was applied to
the anterior segment of arch wire
(A-A) for a period of 45 min.

The
same
procedure
was
repeated by transmitting the
same current to the premolar
segment including the anterior
segment of the arch wire B-B
for 15 min. Hence current was
transmitted through A-A for 60
min. The molar segments of the
arch wire were not heat treated.

On testing it was found that

the heat treated segments
demonstrated better super
elastic properties in relation
to time. Hence it is possible
to heat treat any desired
section of the archwire by
DERHT method and utilize
optimally the super elastic
property of the wire.

Nickel
titanium
are
most
commonly manufactured into
Nickel Titanium alloy by the
process of vacuum induction
melting or vacuum arc melting
process. Several re-melts are
often
needed
to
improve
homogeneity of nickel titanium
alloy. Powders are then made of
the alloy.

The process of hot isostatically

pressing is used by the manufacturer
to form the powders into wires. Voids
occur in the areas where the powders
are not completely pressed together.
The wires obtain their final shape by
the prcess of drawing or rolling.
The processes of drawing or rolling
may leave scratch marks on the
surface.

Because compositions can now be

controlled in an ingot to within
parts per million, martensitic (M),
and
austenitic
(A)
transformations, may start (s) ,
and finish (f) so that :
Ms = 14 C, and Mf =7C on
cooling with
As= 34 C and Af= 43 C on
heating .

COPPER Ni Ti WIRES
In 1994 Ormco Corporation
introduced a new orthodontic wire
alloy, Copper NiTi
Copper Ni Ti is a new quaternary
( nickel, Titanium copper and
chromium ) alloy with distinct
advantages over formerly available
nickel titanium alloys.

Stress induced martensite is

responsible for the super elastic
characteristics of nickel titanium
alloys.
martensite transformation is also
temperature dependent.

One of the most important makers is

the materials austenitic finish
temperature (Af)
It is the differential between the A f
temperature and mouth temperature
that determines the force generated
by nickel titanium alloys.

This temperature (Af) can be controlled

over a wide range by affecting the
composition , thermo mechanical
treatment and manufacturing processes
based on nickel titanium copper Ni-Ti,
this alloy has the advantage of generating
more constant forces than any other
superelastic nickel titanium alloy. It is
more resistant to deformation as a result
of thermo mechanical insults in the
mouth. Also it demonstrates a smaller
mechanical hysteresis, that is, it does not
lose its recovery load as do other nickel
titanium alloys.

Orthodontic archwires fabricated from

this alloy have been developed for specific
clinical situations and are classified as
follows:
Type I Af 15 0C

Type II Af 27 0C
Type III Af 35 0C
Type IV Af 40 0C

These four alloys form the

basis
for
variable
transformation temperature
orthodontics developed by
Dr. Rohit C.L. Sachdeva,
Texas.

These variants would be useful for

different types of orthodontic
patients. For example, the 27oC
variant would be useful for mouth
breathers; the
35oC variant is
activated
at
normal
body
temperature; and the 40 o C
variant would provide activation
only after consuming hot food and
beverages.

PROPERTIES OF COPPER
NiTi WIRES
1. Copper Ni Ti generates a more constant

force over long activation spans than

other nickel titanium alloys and does so
on a consistent basis, from archwire to
archwire.
2. For every small activations, Copper NiTi
generates near constant force, unlike
other nickel titanium alloys.

3.Copper NiTi is more resistant to

permanent deformation compared with
other nickel titanium alloys; it exhibits
better spring back characteristics.
Copper Ni-Ti Exhibits smaller drop in
unloading (tooth driving) force than is
true with other nickel titanium alloys.

The addition of copper combined with

more sophisticated manufacturing
and thermal treatment processes
make possible the fabrication of four
different Copper NiTi archwires with
precise and consistent
transformations temperatures: 15 0C,
27 0C, 350C and 400C. this enables
the clinician to select archwires on a
case specific basis

ALPHA TITANIUM
The alpha titanium alloy is attained by
adding 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium to
titanium
Because of its hexagonal lattice. It posses
fewer slip planes making it less ductile
from - titanium.
the hexagonal close pack structures of
Alpha Titanium has only one active slip
plane along its base rendering it less
ductile.

 TITANIUM TITANIUM
MOLYBDENUM ALLOY OR T.M.A.
In the 1960s an entirely different
high temperature form of titanium
alloy
became
available.
At
temperature above 1625F pure
titanium rearranges into a body
centered cubic lattice (B.C.C.),
referred to as Beta phase.

With the addition of such elements

as molybdenum or columbium, a
titanium based alloy can maintain
its beta structure even when cooled
to room temperature. Such alloys
are referred as beta stabilized
titaniums. The alloying and body
centered cubic impart a unique set
of properties.

Goldberg and Burstone demonstrated

that with proper processing of an 11%
molybdenum, 6% Zirconium and 4%
tin beta titanium alloy, it is possible to
develop an orthodontic wire with a
modulus of elasticity of 9.4 x 10 6 psi
and yield strength of 17 x 10 4 psi.
The resulting YS/E ratio of 1.8 x 10 2
is superior to 1.1 x 10 2 for stainless
steel.

PROPERTIES OF TITANIUM

Alloy

Modulus
of
Elasticity
(10
MPa)

0.2% Offset
Yield
Strength(MP
a)

Ultimate
Tensile
Strength
(MPa)

Number of
90-degree
Cold Bends
without
fracture

Titanium

71.7

931

1276

1. The low elastic modulus yields large

deflections for low forces. The high ratio of
yield strength to elastic modulus
produces orthodontic appliances that can
sustain large elastic activations when
compared with stainless steel devices of
the same geometry.

- titanium can be highly cold worked .

The wrought wire can be bent into
various orthodontic configurations and
hasformability comparable to that of
austenitic
stainless
steel
.
The
mechanical properties of many titanium
alloys can be altered by heat treatments
that use the transformation from to
lattice
structure.
However
,
heat
treatment of the current orthodontic titanium wire is not recommended.

 Clinically satisfactory joints can

be made by electrical resistance

welding of - titanium . Such
joints need not be reinforced with
solder.
A
weld
made
with
insufficient heat fails at the
interface between the wires ,
whereas overheating may cause a
failure adjacent to the weld joint .

TOOTH COLOURED
ORTHODONTIC WIRES
The new orthodontic materials of recent
years have been adopted from those used
in aerospace technology. The high
performance aircraft of the 1970s and
1980s were titanium based, but the
current generation are built of composite
plastics, and there is every reason to
believe that orthodontic wires of this type
will move into clinical use in future.

It is interesting that one nonmetallic

wire already has been offered for
clinical use. Optiflex is a new
orthodontic arch wire designed by Dr.
Talass and manufactured by ORMCO.
It has got unique mechanical
properties with a highly esthetic
appearance. Made of clear optical
fibre, it comprises of three layers.

1. A silicon dioxide core that provides

the force for moving teeth.
2. A silicon resin middle layer that
protects that core from moisture and
adds strength.

3. A strain resistant nylon outer layer

that prevents damage to the wire and
further increases its strength.

CV NiTi WIRES
Masel has announced its' new
CV(tm) NiTi wires. CV NiTi is meant
as an alternative to the copper NiTi
wires used in many orthodontic
procedures

CLINICAL
IMPORTANCE OF
VARIOUS WIRES

GOLD WIRES
Gold alloy wires have decreased
usage in orthodontics due to high
cost of gold alloy and also advent of
stainless steel alloy which is cost
effective and provides properties
required for orthodontic wires

STAINLESS STEEL WIRES

Orthodontic stainless steel is the
most
widely
used
alloy
in
orthodontics. It finds its application
as
arch
wires,
auxillaries
,
retainers,
removable
appliances,bands,etc. The wires are
available both in round as well as
rectangular cross-sections.

The Australian stainless steel wires

described previously are used in the
Beggs technique as well as in the
preadjusted edgewise technique

MULTI STRANDED
STAINLESS STEEL WIRE
Flexibility of stainless steel wire can be
increased by building up a strand of
stainless steel wire around a core of
0.0065 wire along with 0.0055 wires
used as wrap wires. This produces an
overall diameter approximately 0.165.
Multi stranded wires are available in
round, rectangular nd square crosssections.

The strand of stainless steel wire is

more flexible due to the contact slip
between adjacent wrap wires and the
core wire of the strand.
When the strand is deflected the wrap
wires which are both under tension
and torsion will slip with respect to
the core wire and each other. If there
is no elastic deformation each wire
returns to its normal position, giving
the elasticity to the strand of the wire.

According to studies conducted by Kusy

and Barrows, multi-stranded wires have
elastic properties similar to nickel-titanium
arch wires. Hence they can be used as a
substitute to the newer alloy wires
considering the cost of the nickel titanium
wires .
Kusy and Dilley noted that the stiffness of a
triple stranded .0175 (3x .008) stainless
steel arch wire was similar to that of 0.010
stainless steel arch wire. The multistranded
arch wire was also 25% stronger than the
0.010 stainless steel wire. Then the
0.0175 triple stranded wire and 0.016
Nitinol demonstrated a similar stiffness.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Some of the multi stranded wires

available are :
Dentaflex (DENTAURUM)- Dentaflex is
available in triple strand , co-axial six
strand and braided eight strand.
Twist flex- UNITEK
Force 9 - ORMCO
D-rect ORMCO
Respond ORMCO

D-rect is an 8
stranded
,
interwoven braided
rectangular wire .
Its high flexibility ,
together
with
3dimensional control
and
slot
filling
capabilities make it
ideally suitable for
multiple
applications like:-

1. Initial torque control

2. Picking up second molars later

in treatment
3. A finishing arch wire where
torque control is desired yet
resilient to permit interarch
occlusal settling
4. Torque control with vertical or
anterior box elastics.

Force 9 is a 9
stranded ,
interwoven ,
braided rectangular
wire. It delivers
50% more force
than the 8
stranded D-rect
wire. Its selection
can be based upon
similar applications
where slightly more
force seems to be
indicated.

Respond is a 6
stranded ,spiral wrap
with a central core wire
Respond can deliver
light , initial forces
while filling the arch
wire slot for greater
control. Its resistance
to permanent
deformation makes
Respond an excellent
choice as an initial
arch wire in more
severe dental
malalignments.

COMBINATION WIRES

Currently,
stainless
steel
combination wire is also available .
It
consists
of
an
anterior
rectangular wire and posterior
round
wire
.
The
anterior
rectangular wire gives better torque
control and acts as brakes to
burnout the anchorage . These
wires are also known as Dual flex
or Wonder wires.

CHROME COBALT WIRES

The advantages of elgiloy over
stainless steel wires include greater
resistance to fatigue and distortion
and longer function as a resilient
spring.
The high modulus of elasticity of
elgiloy wire suggests that these
wires deliver twice the forces of titanium wires and four times the
force of nitinol wires for equal
amount of activations.

The eligiloy blue alloy is very popular with

many orthodontists because the asreceived wire can be easily manipulated
into desired shapes and then heat treated
to achieve considerable increases in
strength and resilience.This heat treatment
can be performed easily with the aid of an
electrical resistance welding apparatus ,
and the manufacturer provides a special
paste that indicates when the appropriate
conditions of temperature and time have
been achieved.

The other three tempers of

Elgiloy have mechanical
properties that are similar to
tempers that are available with
the less expensive stainless
steel wire alloys.

AZURLOY is a heat
treatable alloy with
excellent formability
in its non heat treated
form . Applications
that take advantage of
this
formability
followed
by
heat
treating to increase
the spring rate might
include :
Multiloop systems
Utility arches
Overlay intrusion or
base arches

NICKEL TITANIUM WIRES

Nickel titanium wire can produce
an uniform constant force which is
delivered for a long period of time
during the de-activation of the wire.
The tooth alignment proceeds
clinically during deactivation as a
result of material superelasticity.

By increasing archwire dimensions in

sequence,
super
elastic
nickel
titanium is theoretically capable of
providing physiological force delivery
over a wide range, by virture of its non
linear force/ deflection characteristic
through out the process of leveling
and aligning
in addition, reactivation of austenitic
wire during alignment and leveling
can alter the force delivered to the
dentition simply by releasing and
retying it.

The days are not far when we

would be using only one or
at the most two wires to
finish a case with little or no
wire bending at all.

The desirable mechanical properties

of Nickel Titanium alloy wires and
their relatively high cost has prompted
many clinicians to recycle these wires.
Many of the clinicians who recycled
these wires indicated that a
deterioration in the mechanical
properties of the wire was their major
concern.

Recycling involves repeated exposure of the

wire for several weeks or months to
mechanical stresses and elements of the
oral environment, as well as sterilization
between uses. The combined effects of
repeated clinical use and sterilization may
subject, the wire to corrosion and cold
working with resultant alteration in the
properties.
Clinical recycling increases the loading
and unloading forces associated with these
wires and also reduces the superelasticity
of these wires.

Uses of NiTi alloy wires

1. Because of its superior spring back,

superelasticity, shape memory, and its

ability to produce light force for longer
duration , NiTi is ideal wire for initial
leveling and aligning. Rectangular NiTi
allows full engagement of the bracket slot
and give better torque control in the initial
phase of treatment.

2. Reverse curve NiTi, also known as Rocking

chair NiTi helps in bite opening and when
placed down helps in bite closure along
with leveling and aligning.

1. Titanium

alloys offers a significant

improvement over currently available
materials for tooth separation, especially
for adult patients or adolescents with
tight contact and amalgam filling with
broad contacts. Distortion is not a
problem as it can be with tempered
stainless steel or elastiomerics. The
problems of breakage during insertion
common with elastomeric modules is
resolved. Re-use after autoclaving is also
possible with NiTi springs.

Recently a NiTi palatal

expander(ortho organizer) has been
developed which is used for
transverse expansion of the maxilla.
It is a temperature activated palatal
expander with the ability to produce
light continuous pressure on the
mid palatal suture while
simultaneously uprighting, rotating
and distalizing the maxillary first
molar.

The action of the appliance is

consequence of NiTis shape memory and
transition temperature effects. The NiTi
expander has a transition temperature of
94F. when it is chilled before insertion, it
becomes flexible and can be easily bent to
facilitate placement.
As the mouth begins to warm the
appliance , the metal stiffness, shape
memory is restored and the expander
begins to exert a light, continuous force
on the teeth and the midpalatal suture.

NiTi is also available in the form

of coil springs. These NiTi coil
springs
manufactured
by
Ormco
greatly
enhance
efficiency
in
both
space
closure and space opening.
NiTi coil springs are also used
for distalisation of molars.

Trade names of NiTi alloy wires

manufactured by some companies:
1.Elastinol Masel orthodontics
2.Bioforce
Sentalloy

Gac
International
3.Nitanium ortho organizers
4.Neosentalloy Gac International
5. BMA
arch
wire

Masel
Orthodontics
6.Titanal XR Lancer orthodontics
7.Rematitan Dentaurum
8.NiTinol SE Unitek

1.NiTinol XL Unitek
2.Turbo Ormco
3.Orthonol Rocky Mountain
4.Marsenol Glenroe Technologies
5.Reflex T.P. orthodontics
6.Sentinol Gac International
7.Align A company
8.Force merican orthodontics
Turbo wire is the first braided NiTi
wire manufactured by Ormco.

COPPER NiTi WIRES

Type I wire Af 15 0C

Sachdeva does not recommend

the frequent use of this alloy
because it generates very heavy
forces and clinical indications are
few

Type II wire Af 270C

This wire generates the highest force
of the three ( type I , III, IV) and is
the best used :
1. In patients who have an average or
higher pain threshold.
2. In patients who have normal
periodontal health.
3. In patients where rapid tooth
movement is required and the force
system
generated
by
this
orthodontic archwire is constant.

Type III wire Af 350C

This wire generates force in the
midrange and is best used :
1. In patients who have a low to
normal pain threshold.
2. In patients whose periodotium is
normal to slightly compromised.
3. When relatively low forces are
desired.

Type IV wire Af 40 0C
These wires generate tooth driving
forces
when
the
mouth
temperature exceeds 400C. these
forces are intermittent in nature.
The indications for use of this alloy
includes:
1. Patients who are sensitive to pain.
2. Patients who have compromised
periodontal conditions
(smaller cross sections are indicated
for severe cases)

3. Where

tooth
movement
is
deliberately slowed down , i.e.,
when the patient may not be able
to visit the orthodontist regularly
or his/her cooperation is very poor
and the orthodontist does not
want things to get out of hand
This wire is very beneficial as an
initial rectangular wire.

ALPHA TITANIUM WIRES

Alpha titanium gets hardened by
absorbing intraoral free hydrogen ions
which turns it into titanium hydride at
the oral temperature of 37 0c and 100%
humidity. Mollenhauer reported that
after six weeks in mouth the wire become
brittle
to
bend.
Therefore
any
modifications if required should be done
within six weeks.

Presently the wire is available

as a combination, the anterior
section is .018 x .025
rectangular for torque control
and braking while the posterior
section which is oval, tapering
from 0.018 to 0.017. hence it
can be used as closing wire.

BETA- TITANIUM WIRES

Beta-titaniums balance of
physical properties also
makes it an ideal choice for
utility arches.
Its
excellent
formability
makes the fabrication of
utility arches fairly simple.

T.M.A appears to be well suited as a utility

arch for three primary reasons:
1. It is highly formable and utility arches
are easily formed.
2. With its enhanced resiliency a single
activation is all that is required to achieve
vertical corrections
3. With its reduced load/deflection rate the
incisor torque control can be obtained
while staying within accepted force ranges.

Preformed tear drop looped T.M.A. arch

wire provides twice the working range of
stainless
steel
and
requires
fewer
activations
for
retraction.
T.M.A.s
moderate forces create less trauma for the
patient and increases patient comfort.
Retraction can be accomplished more
efficiently with reduced chair time.
A stainless steel tear drop loop produces a
force of 728 gm for 1 mm activation and a
T.M.A. tear drop loop produces a force 367
gms for 1 mm activation.

Ormco has introduced a low

friction T.M.A. with reverse
curve of spee which is ideal for
bite opening, arch leveling,
space closure and early three
dimensional manipulation and
torque control.
Through an exclusive spispectrum
ion
beam
implantation process. Ormco
has introduced T.M.A. colours.

T.M.A. colour gives patients some exciting

new looks while at the same time providing
the clinician with many clinical benefits of
T.M.A. wire. The implantation of a mixture
of oxygen and nitrogen ions into the wire
surface is similar to the process used in
the manufacturing of low friction T.M.A.
This ensures a colour fastness not
available in coated wire products.
Patients will love the chance to choose a
favourite colour, adding excitement to what
was once a routine wire change.

TOOTH COLOURED
ORTHODONTIC WIRES
It is interesting that one nonmetallic
wire already has been offered for
clinical use. Optiflex is a new
orthodontic arch wire designed by
Dr. Talass and manufactured by
ORMCO.

Optiflex posses five advantages which

make it a unique archwire in terms of
esthetics and mechanics alike:
1. Optiflex is the most esthetic
orthodontic arch wire to date.
2. Optiflex is completely stain
resistant. The arch wire will not stain
or loose its clear look even after
several weeks in the mouth. The
yellowish stain commonly seen in
elastometric ligatures and chains will
never the observed in optiflex.

3. Beyond esthetics, optiflex is very

effective in moving teeth using light
continuous forces. The force applied with
optiflex is approximately equal to half the
force applied with a respond archwire of
similar size.
4. Optiflex is very flexible. It has an
extremely wide range of action. When
indicated it can be tied with elastometric
ligatures to severely malaligned teeth
without the fear of fracturing the archwire.
5. Due to its superior mechanical
properties, optiflex can be used with any
bracket systems.

Optiflex has got the following clinical

applications:

It is used in adult patients who wish

that their braces not be really visible
for reasons related to personal
concerns
or
professional
considerations.
2. It can be used as an initial wire in
cases with moderate amounts of
crowding in one or both arches.

3. It should be used in cases to be

treated without bicuspid extraction.
Optiflex is not the ideal arch wire for
major cuspid retraction. Retracting
cuspids in the extraction cases with
optiflex has been disappointing due to
its limited ability to control the distal
tipping and the labio lingual rotation
of the retracted cuspids.
4. Optiflex can be used in presurgical
stage
in
cases
which
require
orthognathic intervention as part of
the treatment.

Optiflex archwires combine with

translucent brackets to create the
ultimate
in
labial
appliance
esthetics. Optiflex is available in ten
6 inch straight lengths of 017 and
021.

MARSENOL is a tooth coloured Nickel

titanium wire manufactured by GLENROE
TECHNOLOGIES. It is an E.T.E. coated
Nickel Titanium. E.T.E. is an abbreviation
for
ELASTOMERIC
POLY
TETRA
FLORETHYLENE EMULSION. Marensol
exhibits
all
the
same
working
characteristics
of
an
uncoated
superelastic Nickel titanium wire. The
coating adheres to the wire and remain
flexible. The wire delivers constant force
over long periods of activation and is
fracture resistant.

Lee White Wire manufactured by

LEE PHARMACEUTICAL
is
a
resilient stainless steel or Nickel
titanium arch wire bonded to a
tooth coloured EPOXY coating,
suitable for use with CERAMIC
and PLASTIC brackets. The epoxy
is completely opaque and does not
chip, peel, stain or discolour.

GRADED ARCHWIRES

Contemproary opinion states that the

response of a tooth to force
application and the rate of tooth
movement is dependent on the
surface area of the periodontium.
This means that the ideal archwire
would not only delivery a constant
and low force to malaligned teeth, but
it should also be capable of varying
its level of force delivery, consistent
with the area of periodontium
involved.

To date, only one known

,manufacturer (GAC), has put this
theory into practice by developing the
bio-force archwire. It is already
possible to produce variation in arch
wire force delivery between archwires
of identical dimensions by specifying
trasition temperatures within group
ranges. The manufactures have taken
this process one step further, by
introducing variable transition
temperatures within the same
archwire.

This takes the form of graded force

delievery with in the same alignment
archwire providing light forces of
approximately 80g anteriorly, and a
heavier force of 100 g posteriorly.
The level of force applied is therefore
graded throughout the arch length
according to tooth size.

THE CHOICE OF
ARCH WIRE IN THE
CLINICAL
SITUATION

The demands placed on the

arch wire depend upon the
particular purpose for which
it is intended , and the
purpose
will
change
at
different
stages
of
treatment.

For each arch wire , stiffness

must
be
such
that
an
appropriate force magnitude is
delivered , strength must be
sufficient to prevent distortion
by masticatory forces , and
range must make it possible to
apply the force over a sufficient
distance , so that frequent
reactivation is not required .

The arch wire must be

resistant to fracture ,
and of a material which
is safe to use in the
mouth.

ARCH WIRES
FOR
INITIAL
ALIGNMENT

Early in treatment , tooth

displacement will be at its greatest.

The principal arch wire requirement is

for minimum stiffness and maximum
range , in order that the arch wire
can apply force of appropriate
magnitude
over
relatively
large
distances.

The arch wires used in the

initial stages of treatment are
designed
to
enable
full
engagement of the arch wire in
the bracket channel at the
earliest opportunity.

Arch wire materials appropriate for

initial alignment stage are round
cross-section wires as follows:

1.nickel- titanium (preferably in

its superelastic form)

2.multistranded stainless steel
3.Australian
premium
and
supreme
grade
wires
(.009,.010,.011)

Where tooth displacements are

marked , and wide brackets are
used, the first arch wire should
be particularly low in stiffness
and high in range . Superelastic
nickel titanium wire of 0.012 to .
016 diameter or six- strand
multistranded stainless steel wire
of 0.015 or 0.0175 diameter
may be chosen.

When there are marked

individual tooth displacements ,
it is necessary loosely to ligate
the bracket to the archwire
(rather than attempting to
achieve full bracket
engagement) , in order to
avoid excessive arch wire
deformation and to limit the
force applied.

If 0.018 edgewise brackets are

in
use
,
0.0175multistrand
archwire is not ideal , because
the small clearance between the
archwire channel and the archwire
will restrain movement of the
archwire through the channel.
Even larger diameter nickeltitanium or multistrand round
wires may be used to complete
the period of initial alignment.

The very nature of initial

alignment archwires means that
they offer poor control over
unwanted tooth movements .
Their low stiffness means that
it is inadvisable to use them in
combination with elastic traction
, because they will allow too
much tipping of (otherwise
unsupported) anchorage units.

Sliding mechanics , using elastic

traction or coilsprings for
instance , should be avoided
because of bracket binding and
because the archwire is likely
to bend ,with loss of angular
control over both the teeth
being moved and the anchorage
units.

In most cases , initial alignment is

complete within three months of
commencing treatment.
Indeed , considering the poor
control offered and the dangers
of producing unwanted tooth
movement , initial archwires
should be exchanged for the
archwires of mid-treatment as
soon as possible

MID
TREATMENT

the highly flexible arch

wires used for initial
alignment are replaced by a
series of working
archwires of increasing
stiffness ,offering
progressively greater
control over tooth position

In the early stages of

mid-treatment single
strand , round, stainless
steel archwires of small
diameter are appropriate
.

Archwires of 0.016and then

0.018 diameter are used next
.If movement of teeth along
the
archwire
is
required
(sliding mechanics) , then the
archwire must be capable of
adequate control of tooth
position , and frictional losses
must be kept as low as
possible .

When round wire is used

then it should be of at least
0.016 in diameter , 0.018
brackets are preferable.

Mid-treatment archwires are

sufficiently stiff to enable the
molars
to
resist
unwanted
movement, and they therefore
play an important part both in
molar control and in anchorage
management.
Inter and intra-maxillary elastic
forces can be used safely with
stainless steel single strand round
wires of 0.016 diameter and
above.

If edgewise brackets are used and it

is intended to progress to rectangular
wire, the use of round as described
above is to be recommended in the
first instance.
As an intermediate stage , it may be
advantageous to step down to
rectangular wires of low
stiffness(multistrand,nickeltitanium,B-titanium) before using
single- strand stainless steel
rectangular wire.

the correct approach is to

use a series of rectangular
wires of increasing stiffness
With
0.022brackets
nickel-titanium
0.018x
0.025, and then 0.019x
0.025 stainless steel is an
appropriate progression.

The sequence of the archwire

changes during mid-treatment
will depend of course upon the
mechanical technique being
followed and the treatment
aim , but the overall concept
of progressive increase in
archwire stiffness still applies.

ARCHWIRES
FOR
DETAILING
AND
RETENTION

When the principal tooth

movements
have
been
achieved using the midtreatment archwires it is
necessary to complete final
detailing of tooth position
and
then
to
provide
retention.

The archwire
requirements at this
stage are for high
stiffness and low
range

When rectangular wire has been used

at the end of mid-treatment stage
the detailing archwire should also be
rectangular , possibly of increased
stiffness, and retaining any torqueing
adjustments
which
have
been
incorporated
(non
preadjusted
edgewise brackets).
-titanium
archwire
of
0.021x
0.025 size has a stiffness which is
appropriate for detailing of tooth
position.

Begg
brackets
present
problems at the detailing and
retention stage . The loose
fit of the archwire in the
channel , and the flexibility
of the accessory springs
makes precise positioning of
teeth
very
difficult
to
achieveand retain.

If preadjusted edgewise brackets

have been used then theoretically
the
detailing
stage
will
be
unnecessary
because
of
the
activation programmed into the
brackets.
However, minor errors in bracket
positioning will become obvious in
these final stages of treatment ,
and archwire modification may
still be required.

In search
of the ideal
archwire

From this description of

contemporary archwire alloys
we see that no ideal archwire
exists. This conclusion is not
surprising because the
demands of the treatment
plan require different
characteristic stiffnesses
and ranges.

Specific wires will

do some things well
and others poorly;
but no wire will do
it all.

The future

One promising approach

toward achieving an esthetic
archwire with excellent
overall properties involves
the use of composites,
which can be composed of
ceramic fibers that are
embedded in a linear or
crosslinked polymeric
matrix.

Existing experimental
prototypes are tooth
colored, can be as strong as
the strongest piano wire,
and can vary in stiffness
from that of the most
flaccid multi-stranded
archwire, to nearly that of
a beta-titanium archwire

These characteristics can be

varied during manufacture
without any change in wireslot
engagement
by
pultrusion, in which the
relative proportions of the
fiber and matrix materials
are adjusted appropriately
and
cured
by
electromagnetic radiation.

Mechanical tests show that

such archwires are elastic
until failure occurs. When
compared with NiTi,
resilience and springback
are comparable. Moreover,
when failure finally does
occur, the wire loses its
stiffness, but it remains
intact.

Although the specifics of other

characteristics, such as formability,
weldability, and frictional
coefficients, are unknown at this
time, preliminary experiments suggest
that preformed archwires and
rectangular cross-sections should be
possible by a process known as betastaging and that low coefficients of
friction and enhanced biocompatibility
should be possible by modifying the
surface chemistry of the polymer.

Indeed, as composites are

displacing
metallic
alloys
as
structural components in the
aerospace
industry,
the
expectation
is
that
the
attractive
properties
and
characteristics of these esthetic
composites
will
capture
a
significant
share
of
the
marketplace within the next
decade.

Summary of relative
levels of important
properties for
selection of
orthodontic wire
alloys

References
1. Backofen W.A. & Gales G.F. : the low temperature
heat treatment of stainless steel for orthodontics. A.O.
1951, vol 21, 117 124
2.Funk A.C. : heat Treatment of S. Steel . A.O. 1951, vol
21, 129-136.
3.Richman, G. Y. : Practical metallurgy
orthodontist AJO 1956, ; vol. 42, 573-587

for

the

4.Burstone C.J. et al. Beta Titanium, A new orthodontic

alloy, AJO 1980, Vol. 77, 212 132

5.Orthodontic materials William Brantley

6. Refined Begg for modern times- V.P. Jayade
7.Orthodontic treatment with removable
appliances- Houston, Issacson
8.Ralph W. Philips Skinners Science of dental
materials Ninth edition. 261-270, 537-551.

THANK YOU