Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Orthodontic Wires: Arch Wire Materials
Orthodontic Wires: Arch Wire Materials
Beta-Titanium wires
Composition
Tin 80%
Molybdenum 11.5%
Zirconium 6%
Tin 4.5%
have been
used for decades due to their high strength. In addition, stainless steel wires do not
rust and can be adjusted many different ways by the orthodontist without breaking.
However, stainless steel wires are not very elastic, meaning that if you bend these
wires too much, they will assume the new position and will not return to their original
position.
3 major types are present:-Ferretic SS
- Martensitic SS
- Austenitic SS
Composition
Chromium (11-26%)improves the corrosion
resistance
Nickel(0-22%) austenitic stabilizer
copper, manganese and nitrogen similar to the amount of nickel added to
the alloy
Carbon (0.08-1.2%) provides strength
Silicon (low concentrations) improves the resistance to oxidation and
carburization at high temperatures.
Sulfur (0.015%) increases ease of machining
Phosphorous allows sintering at lower temperatures.
Various tempers
Red hard & resilient
green semi-resilient
Yellow slightly less formable but ductile
Blue soft & formable
Composition
Chromium 15-22%
Nickel for strength and ductility
Iron, molybdenum, tungsten and titanium to form stable carbides and
enhance hardness.
Cobalt 40-45%
Shape
1) Round
.014 up to .020
2) Rectangular
.021 x .025
3) Square
.016 x .016
4) Multi-stranded wires- 2 or more wires of smaller diameter are twisted
together/coiled around a core wire.
-- 0.016 or 0.017
* Dimension is in inches
Round wires have higher ductility than square or rectangular wires.
If both, 1st & 2nd order corrections are required to the same extent, then square or
round wires?
The square wires have advantage. They simultaneously control torque and result in
better orientation into a rectangular slot.
(do not turn and no unwanted forces are created).
In US - thousandths of an inch
0.016 =16 mils
In Europe and many other areas millimeters
CONVERSION
Divide the dimensions in mils by 4 and place a decimal point behind it.
eg 16 mils = 0.4mm
Applications