Metallurgical characterization, galvanic corrosion, and ionic release of orthodontic brackets coupled with Ni‐Ti archwires

In orthodontics, a combination of metallic alloys is placed into the oral cavity during medical treatment and thus the corrosion resistance and ionic release of these appliances is of vital importance. The aim of this study is to investigate the elemental composition, microstructure, hardness, corrosion properties, and ionic release of commercially available orthodontic brackets and Copper Ni‐Ti archwires. Following the assessment of the elemental composition of the orthodontic wire (Copper Ni‐Ti™) and the six different brackets (Micro Loc, Equilibrium, OptiMESH XRT , Gemini, Orthos2, and Rematitan), cyclic polarization curves were obtained for each material to estimate the susceptibility of each alloy to pitting corrosion in 1 M lactic acid. Galvanic corrosion between the orthodontic wire and each bracket took place in 1 M lactic acid for 28 days at 37°C and then the ionic concentration of Nickel and Chromium was studied. The orthodontic wire is made up from a Ni‐Ti alloy with copper additions, while the orthodontic brackets are manufactured by different stainless steel grades or titanium alloys. All tested wires and brackets with the exception of Gemini are not susceptible to pitting corrosion. In galvanic corrosion, following exposure for 28 days, the lowest potential difference (∼250 mV) appears for the orthodontic wire Copper Ni‐Ti and the bracket made up from pure titanium (Rematitan) or from the stainless steel AISI 316 grade (Micro Loc). Following completion of the galvanic corrosion experiments, measurable quantities of chromium and nickel ions were found in the residual lactic acid solution. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2006