Experimental friction and deflection forces of orthodontic leveling archwires in three-bracket model experiments

In vitro testing of archwires in a multibracket model may provide estimates of force-moment (F/M) systems applied to individual teeth in a realistic geometry. Such investigations have mostly been performed by continuous wire deflection, leading to frictional forces biasing the pure deflection forces. Aim of this study was to quantify this bias and the pure deflection forces for leveling archwires.

Three nickel-titanium (NiTi) and two multistranded wires were tested in a three-bracket model simulating vertical movement of an upper incisor with a typical interbracket distance of 8 mm (intercenter). To determine pure deflection forces, the middle bracket was first leveled incrementally from its vertical malposition to neutral position with repeated wire insertion at each step (so-called "static leveling mode"). For comparison, forces at the middle bracket were also determined during dynamic leveling with or without ligation of the wire at the lateral brackets by either elastic, tight or loose steel ligatures.

The dynamic mode resulted in significantly lower mean leveling forces for all the tested wires (ANOVA [analysis of variance], p < 0.01) compared to the static mode. Expressed in numbers, dynamic wire unloading resulted in mean force underestimation of 53 ± 9% (loose steel ligatures), 56 ± 11% (elastic ligatures) or 91 ± 29% (tight steel ligatures).

Orthodontic tooth movement is quasi-static. This concerns the initial hyalinization phase in particular. Thus, especially static testing of archwires provides valid reference data for the peak forces exerted directly after clinical insertion of a leveling wire. In dynamic wire testing, significant underestimation of actual forces exerted on individual teeth may occur due to experimental friction, which might considerably differ from that occurring during clinical therapy. This aspect has to be taken into account in the interpretation of published stiffness values for orthodontic wires, and in the selection of the appropriate archwire for leveling of the present tooth malposition, respectively.