Objective: To assess the mechanical effects of nickel-titanium orthodontic archwire flaming and their distribution along the wire. Methodology: Two sizes of pre-formed austenitic nickel-titanium archwires were tested (n=10). The terminal 5mm of each wire was heated for five seconds using a butane lighter. Micro-hardness testing was used to determine the heat-affected zone for all wires. Cantilever bending was performed to assess the mechanical properties of heated wires. Results: The heat-affected zone was found to extend less than 2 mm past the flame boundary for all wires. For each wire gauge, the flamed zone was characterized by a lower and flatter super-elastic plateau and an increased tendency for plastic deformation when compared to controls. Conclusions: The limited ability of austenitic nickel-titanium orthodontic archwires to conduct heat past the boundary of the flamed region suggests no need to alter current clinical practice.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:OTU.1807/31327 |
Date | 14 December 2011 |
Creators | MacLeod, David Matthew |
Contributors | Tompson, Bryan |
Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
Language | en_ca |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Thesis |
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