Metal wires or metal brackets are a tried and tested method for straightening teeth, correcting tooth alignment and facial asymmetries. They consist of metal brackets that are attached to the outer / front surface of the teeth. It is one of the first orthodontic appliances used for orthodontic treatment of misaligned or crooked teeth. However, they are widely used in orthodontics alongside other types of wire mesh such as ceramic wires and ligual wires.
What are metal wires made of?
Since braces remain in the oral cavity for a long time, they are prepared from materials with sufficient strength and excellent resistance to corrosion. Therefore, conventional metal brackets are made of high-quality stainless steel or titanium alloys.
Metallic Brackets
Brackets are appliances that are attached to the teeth and become visible every time you open your mouth or smile. Metal brackets are made of stainless steel, gold, titanium, nickel. Chromium is added to prevent corrosion of stainless, and molybdenum is added to prevent crevice and pitting corrosion.
Brackets are attached to the teeth with the help of special dental cements that are polymerized with the help of visible light. Orthodontic brackets contain slots through which an archwire passes. A metallic arch wire is a metallic wire that passes through specially designed slots in brackets. Metallic archwires are prepared from stainless steel, nickel titanium or β-titanium alloys.
Currently, Ni-Ti (55% nickel and 45% titanium) alloys are more commonly used than stainless steel alloys due to super flexibility and memory. Stainless steel alloys contain 18% chromium and 8% nickel.
The thickness and hardness of the arch wires determine the force on the teeth. Generally, flexible wires are used initially to gradually align the teeth, followed by rigid wires (such as stainless steel) to allow significant orthodontic movement of the teeth. Orthodontic ties, also commonly known as rubber bands, are simply elastics used to hold the arch wires in place on the brackets. Ligatures come in a variety of colors and patients can choose the color of their ligatures when they are replaced at each appointment.
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