Purpose: Most of the orthodontic archwires used in the clinical practice nowadays contain nickel (Ni), however, many patients, especially kids, are allergic to Ni. One possible Ni-free alternative is the Titanium-Niobium (Ti-Nb) archwire. Unfortunately, there is not enough information about its mechanical properties in the literature, especially after clinical usage. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate and compare the mechanical properties, chemical composition, structure and morphology of as received and used in clinical practice Ti-Nb orthodontic archwires.
Materials and methods: We investigated and compared as received and clinically retrieved after 4 and 6 weeks respectively Ti-Nb archwires with dimensions 0.43 × 0.64 mm (0.017 in. × 0.025 in.). The following methods were used: instrumented indentation testing (nanoindentation), X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
Results: The nanoindentation investigations of as received and used Ti-Nb archwires revealed a decreasing in their indentation hardness with increased periods of use in the patient's mouth. Moreover, an increasing of the concentration of Ti in the content of the TiNb alloy was associated with an increased period of use in the oral cavity. The SEM analysis showed changes in surface morphology with increasing the period of use of the archwires.
Conclusions: The results showed that there are slight changes in the mechanical and physicochemical properties of the investigated wires after their use in the patient's mouth. That is why we do not recommend them for recycling.