Professional Documents
Culture Documents
An Assessment of The Impact of Adhesive Coverage and Wire Type On Fixed Retainer Failures and Force Propagation Along Two Types of Orthodontic Retainer Wires: An in Vitro Study
An Assessment of The Impact of Adhesive Coverage and Wire Type On Fixed Retainer Failures and Force Propagation Along Two Types of Orthodontic Retainer Wires: An in Vitro Study
An Assessment of The Impact of Adhesive Coverage and Wire Type On Fixed Retainer Failures and Force Propagation Along Two Types of Orthodontic Retainer Wires: An in Vitro Study
a
Postgraduate Trainee, Department of Orthodontics, Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
b
Senior Lecturer and Program Director in MSc Dental Materials, Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
c
Assistant Professor, Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University,
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
d
Chair/Professor of Orthodontics, Division of Public and Child Dental Health, Dublin Dental University Hospital, The University of
Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland and Honorary Professor, Centre for Oral Bioengineering, Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary
University of London, London, UK.
Corresponding author: Dr Selena Hui Ming Tee, Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, The Royal London Dental
Hospital, Department of Orthodontics, Turner Street, London E1 1FR, UK
(e-mail: s.hmtee@hotmail.com)
Accepted: April 2023. Submitted: November 2022.
Published Online: May 26, 2023
Ó 2023 by The EH Angle Education and Research Foundation, Inc.
Retainer failure may present as wire fracture or and force propagation potential) when deciding on the
detachment at the tooth-adhesive or adhesive-wire choice of retainer wire. This study aimed to evaluate
Figure 2. Three-dimensional–printed templates and the corresponding silicone guides with circular cutouts of varying diameters (2 mm, 3 mm, 4
mm, and 5 mm).
Figure 7. Examples of force propagation index scores. Score 0 (A), 1 (B), 2 (C), 3 (D), and 4 (E).
scored twice by the same assessor at a 2-week 8). Statistical difference was observed for varying
interval. Excellent intrarater reliability was observed, composite surface diameters (P , .001), with the
with an intraclass correlation coefficient of .993. Two- mean debonding force for 2 mm being significantly
way ANOVA was carried out for the analysis of force lower than that of other dimensions (3 mm, 4 mm, and
propagation scores. As the data for wire extension at 5 mm). Post hoc comparisons are shown in Table 3.
initial sign of failure did not fulfil the normality and There was no statistically significant difference in the
homogeneity requirements for parametric testing, a debonding force between the two wires (P ¼ .457).
Mann-Whitney U test was used. The significant
threshold for all analyses was set at P ¼ .05. Force Propagation Within Fixed Retainers
The average force propagation scores for Ortho-
RESULTS Care Perform, when loaded between the two central
Effect of Varying Adhesive (Composite) Coverage incisors and between a lateral incisor and canine, were
18.2 and 13.8, respectively. Conversely, Ortho-Flex-
on Retainer Failure
Tech produced average scores of 6.8 and 6.5 when
Ortho-FlexTech and Ortho-Care Perform recorded loaded at similar locations (Figure 9). Two-way ANOVA
the highest mean debonding force when 4-mm- showed that the mean difference of 9.35 between the
diameter composite pads were used (Table 2; Figure wires was significantly different (P , .001; 95%
Figure 8. Scatter plot and trendline of mean debonding force (N) for different retainer wires at varying composite surface diameters (mm).
Table 3. Tukey Honest Significant Difference Post Hoc Comparison of Debonding Force for Different Composite Surface Diameters (Dependent
Variable: Debonding Force)
Composite Surface Diameter, mm 95% Confidence Interval
Mean Standard
(I) (J) Difference, N (I–J) Error Significance Lower Bound Upper Bound
2 3 8.09* 2.50 .008 14.59 1.59
4 15.19* 2.50 ,.001 21.69 8.69
5 13.83* 2.50 ,.001 20.33 7.33
3 2 8.09* 2.50 .008 1.59 14.59
4 7.10* 2.50 .026 13.59 0.60
5 5.74 2.50 .104 12.24 0.76
4 2 15.19* 2.50 ,.001 8.69 21.69
confidence interval [CI]: 7.94, 10.77). Force propaga- ¼ 5). Three samples had complete debond of at least
tion was significantly higher when loading was done one composite pad. Cracks and partial bond failure
between the two central incisors than between the were observed in the remaining samples (Ortho-
lateral incisor and canine (P ¼ .002; 95% CI: 0.94, FlexTech ¼ 28; Ortho-Care Perform ¼ 30).
3.77).
Further analysis revealed that Ortho-FlexTech ex-
DISCUSSION
hibited more extension when loaded at the center prior
to failure. Nevertheless, the variation in deformation The Ortho-FlexTech wire used in the present study
between different wires and loading locations was not was of the stainless-steel variant with an interlocking
statistically significant (Table 4). Similarly, one-way
chain design, measuring 0.0383 inches wide and
ANOVA testing on the mean load recorded at the first
sign of failure revealed an insignificant difference, P ¼ 0.0158 inches in height. The Ortho-Care Perform
.057 (Table 5). stainless-steel wire had an overall diameter of 0.0175
There was an almost equal number of wire fractures inches and a coaxial design comprising five wires
in both wires (Ortho-FlexTech ¼ 6; Ortho-Care Perform wrapped around a central core wire.
Figure 9. Line graph of mean force propagation score for different retainer wires and force loading positions.
Table 4. Median Values of Wire Extension Just Before Failure and the Corresponding Mann-Whitney U Comparisons
Ortho-FlexTech Ortho-Care Perform
Between the Between the Between the Between the
Central Lateral Incisor Central Lateral Incisor
Position of Force Loading Incisors and Canine Incisors and Canine
Median, mm 2.37 1.66 1.78 1.68
Wire extension at failure (P values pairwise comparison)
Ortho-FlexTech (force between the central incisors) — — — —
Ortho-FlexTech (force between the lateral incisor and canine) 0.068 — — —
Ortho-Care Perform (force between the central incisors) 0.091 0.563 — —
Ortho-Care Perform (force between the lateral incisor and canine) 0.051 0.791 0.791 —
force was loaded occluso-apically at the unsupported amount of force propagation (scores 2, 3, and 4) beyond
intercomposite wire segment in the present study. In the composite pads immediately adjacent to the force
addition, six bonding sites mimicking a canine-to- origin. Based on this experiment, force applied is
canine retainer were used here instead of a two-teeth therefore not completely transmitted along the wire with
setup.15 The findings were, however, comparable with energy likely dissipated as kinetic and thermal energy
the higher reactionary maximum force and moment during plastic deformation. Ortho-FlexTech which has a
reported by Sifikakis and coworkers16 when they larger surface area in contact with the overlying
applied gradual intrusion force on a multistranded wire. adhesive may lose a higher proportion of energy
Arnold et al.10 reported the stiffness of Ortho- through friction at the wire composite interface. Intui-
FlexTech as the second lowest after Respond in their tively, therefore, a retainer wire with greater inherent
used when bonding a fixed retainer in the maxillary 6. Katsaros C, Livas C, Renkema AM. Unexpected complica-
intercanine region. tions of bonded mandibular lingual retainers. Am J Orthod
More than 4 mm of coverage does not appear to offer Dentofac Orthop. 2007;132:838–841.
7. Renkema AM, Renkema A, Bronkhorst E, Katsaros C. Long-
appreciable benefit and may promote failure of
term effectiveness of canine-to-canine bonded flexible spiral
retainers due to the increased stiffness, which resists wire lingual retainers. Am J Orthod Dentofac Orthop. 2011;
physiologic mobility. 139:614–621.
A coaxial wire may be more prone to stress 8. Pazera P, Fudalej P, Katsaros C. Severe complication of a
accumulation at its terminal ends, exerting unwanted bonded mandibular lingual retainer. Am J Orthod Dentofac
forces during long-term fixed retention. Orthop. 2012;142:406–409.
Ortho-FlexTech may be susceptible to stretching 9. Kučera J, Marek I. Unexpected complications associated
with mandibular fixed retainers: a retrospective study. Am J