Dynamic stress relaxation of orthodontic thermoplastic materials in a simulated oral environment

Mechanical properties are crucial for screening orthodontic thermoplastic materials for invisible aligners. However, most of previous studies were carried out within laboratory conditions which limit our understanding of the mechanical behaviors of aligners within oral environment. In this study, we studied the dynamic stress relaxation of thermoplastic materials by combination of Bose ElectroForce and a homemade temperature-controlled water bath. The 3-h stress relaxation curves of five orthodontic thermoplastic materials were measured within 37°C water bath as well as comparatively in ambient atmospheric environment (~20°C). The percentage residual stress at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 min was selected for statistical analyses. As expected, the experimental results showed that the residual stress within all five materials decreased with time, and that this process was significantly accelerated in the 37°C water bath (p<0.05). Compared with other materials, Erkodur and Masel exhibited slower relaxing rates in the 37°C water bath (p<0.05).