Antimicrobial effect, frictional resistance, and surface roughness of stainless steel orthodontic brackets coated with nanofilms of silver and titanium oxide: a preliminary study

Nano-silver and nano-titanium oxide films can be coated over brackets in order to reduce bacterial aggregation and friction. However, their antimicrobial efficacy, surface roughness, and frictional resistance are not assessed before. Fifty-five stainless-steel brackets were divided into 5 groups of 11 brackets each: uncoated brackets, brackets coated with 60 µm silver, 100 µm silver, 60 µm titanium, and 100 µm titanium. Coating was performed using physical vapor deposition method. For friction test, three brackets from each group were randomly selected and tested. For scanning electron microscopy and atomic-force microscopy assessments, one and one brackets were selected from each group. For antibacterial assessment, six brackets were selected from each group. Of them, three were immediately subjected to direct contact with S. mutans. Colonies were counted 3, 6, 24, and 48 h of contact. The other three were stored in water for 3 months. Then were subjected to a similar direct contact test. Results pertaining to both subgroups were combined. Groups were compared statistically. Mean (SD) friction values of the groups 'control, silver-60, silver-100, titanium-60, and titanium-100' were 0.55 ± 0.14, 0.77 ± 0.08, 0.82 ± 0.11, 1.52 ± 0.24, and 1.57 ± 0.41 N, respectively (p = .0004, Kruskal-Wallis). Titanium frictions were significantly greater than control (p < .05), but silver groups were not (p > .05, Dunn). In the uncoated group, colony count increased exponentially within 48 h. The coated groups showed significant reductions in colony count (p < .05, two-way-repeated-measures ANOVA). In conclusions, all four explained coatings reduce surface roughness and bacterial growth. Nano-titanium films are not suitable for friction reduction. Nano-silver results were not conclusive and need future larger studies.

Shear bond strength of ceramic and metallic orthodontic brackets bonded with self-etching primer and conventional bonding adhesives

Introduction

Adult patients typically require high-quality orthodontic treatment for ceramic brackets, but some clinicians remain concerned about the bond strength of these brackets. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the shear bond strength and de-bonding characteristics of metallic and ceramic brackets bonded with two types of bonding agents.

Methods

In an experimental study done in 2013 in Babol, Iran, 120 extracted human maxillary premolar teeth were randomly divided into four groups as follows: HM group: metallic bracket/conventional bonding agent; SM group: metallic bracket/Transbond self-etching primer; HC group: ceramic bracket/conventional bonding agent; SC group: ceramic bracket/Transbond self-etching primer. Twenty-four hours after thermocycling (1000 cycle, 5 °C–55 °C), the shear bond strength values were measured. The amount of resin remaining on the tooth surface (adhesive remnant index: ARI) was determined under a stereomicroscope. Enamel detachment index was evaluated under a scanning electron microscope. To perform statistical analysis, ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis, and Tukey post-hoc tests were applied. The level of significance was set at p <0.05.

Results

The mean shear bond strength values (MPa ± SD) were group HM=12.59, group SM=11.15, group HC=7.7, and group SC=7.41. Bond strength differences between groups HM and SM (p=0.063) and between HC and SC (p=0.091) were not statistically significant. There were significant differences between HM and HC and between SM and SC groups (p < 0.05). Insignificant differences were found in ARI among all groups.

Conclusion

Our findings indicated that the metallic brackets had higher bond strengths in comparison with ceramic brackets. In addition, self-etching primer was able to produce fewer bonds compared with the conventional technique. Many samples showed the bracket-adhesive interface failure or failure inside the adhesive.

In vitro evaluation of frictional forces of two ceramic orthodontic brackets versus a stainless steel bracket in combination with two types of archwires

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to compare frictional forces between monocrystalline alumina (MA), polycrystalline alumina (PA), and stainless steel (SS) brackets with two SS wires: Rectangular and round.

Materials and Methods:

In this in vitro study, 60 0.022 brackets [20 PA (0° torque, Forestadent, Germany) and 20 MA (0° torque, Ormco, California, USA)] brackets plus 20 SS brackets (0° torque, Foretadent, Germany) and 60 SS archwires (30 rectangular 0.019 ×0.025 archwires and 30 round 0.018 archwires, Ortho Technology, USA) were used in subgroups of 10 from the combination of all brackets and all archwires. A universal testing machine (Instron, Model STM 250, Germany) was used to investigate the static frictional resistance. The angulation between the bracket and wire was 0°, and the wires were pulled through the slots at a crosshead speed of 10 mm/min. Two-way and one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey tests were used to analyze the data.

Results:

Mean (SD) static frictional force for each group was as follows: MA + round: 3.47 (0.38); MA + rectangular: 4.05 (0.47); PA + round: 4.14 (0.37); PA + rectangular: 4.45 (0.65); SS + round: 3.28 (0.22); and SS + rectangular: 4.22 (0.61). Significant effects of bracket types (P = 0.001) and archwire types (P = 0.000) on the friction force were detected using ANOVA. Tukey test indicated significant differences between PA brackets with both SS and MA brackets (P < 0.05), but not between SS and MA brackets. The two archwires as well had significantly different effects (Tukey P = 0.000).

Conclusions:

Based on the present in-vitro study, the PA brackets might create higher frictional forces compared to both SS and MA brackets. The rectangular 0.019 ×0.025 archwire might create greater forces than round 0.018 archwire.

Clinical comparison between Multi-Stranded Wires and Single strand Ribbon wires used for lingual fixed retainers

BACKGROUND

Long-term retention with fixed retainers with a high success rate seems to be a reasonable solution to minimize or prohibit relapse of orthodontic treatment.

METHODS

Two hundred sixty patients between 13 and 30 years old were recruited for this study. The 0.0175 stainless steel twisted wire (G&H Orthodontics, USA) was compared with a single-strand ribbon titanium lingual retainer wire (Retainium, Reliance orthodontics, USA) was used. When treatment was completed, the retainers were bonded from canine to canine in the mandibular arch of the participants. In the follow-up visits, the patients were recalled every 3 months during the 24 months. Detachments, the time of debonding, and side effects were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed by a blinded statistician using a statistical package for Social Science (SPSS, Version20). After descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to measure the survival rates of each retainer. P value < 0.05 was considered as significant.

RESULTS

Finally, 138 patients who received twisted wire splint and 112 patients who received ribbon wire were included in the analysis. The average duration of success was about 23 months for twisted wire and ribbon wire, according to the Kaplan-Meier estimates. The analysis showed no significant overall difference between the treatments (p = 0.13). Failure rates in terms of detachments in all groups occurred at the enamel junction, and it was 25 in twisted retainer group (18.1%) and was 10 in ribbon retainer group (8.9%); the Kaplan-Meier analysis test detected a significant difference in the failure rates between the groups (p = 0/006).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the conventional twisted stainless steel wire and single-strand titanium flat metal ribbon wire as fixed orthodontic retainers have the same clinical effects, it was shown that the ribbon wire has less failure in terms of detachments.

The effects of silver coating on friction coefficient and shear bond strength of steel orthodontic brackets

Aims of the present study was to measure frictional resistance between silver coated brackets and different types of arch wires, and shear bond strength of these brackets to the tooth. In an experimental clinical research 28 orthodontic brackets (standard, 22 slots) were coated with silver ions using electroplate method. Six brackets (coated: 3, uncoated: 3) were evaluated with Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy. The amount of friction in 15 coated brackets was measured with three different kinds of arch wires (0.019 × 0.025-in stainless steel [SS], 0.018-in stainless steel [SS], 0.018-in Nickel-Titanium [Ni-Ti]) and compared with 15 uncoated steel brackets. In addition, shear bond strength values were compared between 10 brackets with silver coating and 10 regular brackets. Universal testing machine was used to measure shear bond strength and the amount of friction between the wires and brackets. SPSS 18 was used for data analysis with t-test. SEM and AFM results showed deposition of a uniform layer of silver, measuring 8-10 μm in thickness on bracket surfaces. Silver coating led to higher frictional forces in all the three types of arch wires, which was statistically significant in 0.019 × 0.025-in SS and 0.018-in Ni-Ti, but it did not change the shear bond strength significantly. Silver coating with electroplating method did not affect the bond strength of the bracket to enamel; in addition, it was not an effective method for decreasing friction in sliding mechanics.

Efficacy of quercetin flavonoid in recovering the postbleaching bond strength of orthodontic brackets: A preliminary study

Objectives:

To evaluate comparatively the effect of quercetin on postbleaching shear bond strength (SBS) and adhesive remnant index (ARI).

Materials and Methods:

Intact maxillary premolars were divided randomly into 12 groups of 10 each: (1) bonding the bracket immediately after bleaching, (2) bonding 1 week after bleaching, (3–8) application of three experimental concentrations of quercetin (0.1%, 0.5%, and 1%) at two time durations (5 and 10 min), (9–10) application of the solvent of quercetin at two time periods (5 and 10 min), (11) application of 10% sodium ascorbate for 10 min, and (12) bonding the brackets on nonbleached teeth. Bleaching was performed using 15% carbamide peroxide gel for 5 days (6 h daily). After incubation and thermocycling, the SBS of brackets was measured. The ARI too was recorded at ×20. The data were analyzed statistically (α =0.05).

Results:

Bleaching reduced the SBS below 10 Megapascal (MPa) level (P < 0.05) while all the postbleaching treatments (except the application of the solvent of quercetin) recovered the SBS back to values greater than 10 MPa (P < 0.05) and also back to nonbleached SBS levels (P > 0.01). All eight postbleaching treatments had rather similar efficacies (P = 0.1396). The concentration of quercetin (beta = 0.259, P = 0.042) but not its duration (beta = 0.213, P = 0.093) significantly improved its efficacy.

Conclusion:

Bleaching can weaken the bond strength of orthodontic brackets below acceptable levels. The application of quercetin or Vitamin C or delaying the bracket bonding improved the postbleaching SBS.

Effect of CO2 laser power intensity on the surface morphology and friction behavior of alumina ceramic brackets

OBJECTIVE

This study aims at reducing frictional resistance of the ceramic brackets by using CO₂ laser irradiation.

METHODS

Forty-two polycrystalline Al₂ O₃ ceramic brackets were randomly divided into six groups of seven samples: a control group B0 (not subjected to laser irradiation) and five groups subjected to irradiation with intensities of 10 (B10), 30 (B30), 70 (B70), 90 (B90), and 110 (B110) J/cm² . After irradiation, two samples from each group were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), while the remaining five samples were tested for frictional resistance. The sliding friction of stainless steel wires (SS-wires) in the brackets was measured using a universal testing machine.

RESULTS

Samples from the first set (groups B0, B10, and B30) were significantly more resistant to wire sliding than the samples from the second set (groups B70, B90, and B110). The SEM analysis shows different degrees of blister formation on the bracket surfaces subjected to laser irradiation and no changes in their grain sizes. The AFM results indicate more consistent blister formation for groups B70, B90, and B110 than for other groups.

CONCLUSION

Different CO₂ laser power intensities significantly affect frictional resistances of SS-wires in Al₂ O₃ ceramic brackets.

Local injection of carrageenan accelerates orthodontic tooth movement: A preliminary experimental animal study

BACKGROUND

Orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) can be accelerated by increasing bone turnover. Carrageenan is a common food additive, which can induce inflammation. Hence, it might accelerate OTM. However, it has not been investigated to date.

METHODS

This 2-phase preliminary animal experimental study was conducted on 28 Wistar rats. A pilot study on 5 mice was done to estimate the experimental dose of carrageenan. The first phase evaluated the effect of a 40μL carrageenan 1% injection on inflammation status in 7 rats versus 7 control rats, 6hours after the injection. The second phase examined the effect of the same dose of carrageenan on OTM speed during 21 days of incisor retraction in rat, in two groups: control (normal saline) and carrageenan (n=7×2). This sample size was pre-determined based on a priori power calculations. In phase II, osteoclastic activity was also evaluated, 21 days after the injection. The groups were compared statistically (α=0.05).

RESULTS

Six hours after carrageenan injection, 1, 3, and 3 rats had inflammation scores of 3 to 1, respectively. Six hours after saline injection, 1 rat had a score of 1 and the remainder had no inflammation (P=0.0023, Mann-Whitney). Twenty-one days after saline and carrageenan injection, OTMs were 0.7±0.3 and 1.1±0.4mm, respectively, (P=0.053, Mann-Whitney). Twenty-one days after saline and carrageenan injection, mean osteoclast counts were, respectively, 4.87±1.849 and 7.143±1.727 per field (P=0.025, Mann-Whitney).

CONCLUSION

Local injection of carrageenan can induce inflammation after 6hours. It can increase approximately 1.6-fold the speed of OTM, and increase the osteoclast count 1.5-fold after 21 days of space closure.

In Silico Analysis of Collagens Missense SNPs and Human Abnormalities

Collagens are the most abundant proteins in the extra cellular matrix/ECM of human tissues that are encoded by different genes. There are single nucleotide polymorphisms/SNPs which are considered as the most useful biomarkers for some disease diagnosis or prognosis. The aim of this study is screening and identifying the functional missense SNPs of human ECM-collagens and investigating their correlation with human abnormalities. All of the missense SNPs were retrieved from the NCBI SNP database and screened for a global frequency of more than 0.1. Seventy missense SNPs that met the screening criteria were characterized for functional and stability impact using six and three protein analysis tools, respectively. Next, HOPE and geneMANIA analysis tools were used to show the effect of SNPs on three-dimensional structure (3D) and physical interaction of proteins. Results showed that 13 missense SNPs (rs2070739, rs28381984, rs13424243, rs1800517, rs73868680, rs12488457, rs1353613, rs59021909, rs9830253, rs2228547, rs3753841, rs2855430, and rs970547), which are in nine different collagen genes, affect the structure and function of different collagen proteins. Among these polymorphisms, COL4A3-rs13424243 and COL6A6-rs59021909 were predicted as the most effective ones. On the other hand, designed mutated and native 3D of rs13424243 variant illustrated that it can disturb the protein motifs. Also, geneMANIA predicted that COL4A3 and COL6A6 are interacting with some proteins including: DDR1, COL6A1, COL11A2 and so on. Based on our findings, ECM-collagens functional SNPs are important and may be considered as a risk factor or molecular marker for human disorders in the future studies.

Evaluation of Antibacterial Effects of Silver-Coated Stainless Steel Orthodontic Brackets

OBJECTIVES

White spots and enamel demineralization around orthodontic brackets are among the most important complications resulting from orthodontic treatments. Since the antibacterial properties of metals and metallic particles have been well documented, the aim of this study was to assess the antibacterial effect of stainless steel orthodontic brackets coated with silver (Ag) particles.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, 40 standard metal brackets were divided into two groups of 20 cases and 20 controls. The brackets in the case group were coated with Ag particles using an electroplating method. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to assess the adequacy of the coating process. In addition, antibacterial tests, i.e., disk diffusion and direct contact tests were performed at three, six, 24, and 48 hours, and 15 and 30 days using a Streptococcus mutans strain. The results were analyzed using Student's t-test and repeated measures ANOVA.

RESULTS

Analyses via SEM and AFM confirmed that excellent coatings were obtained by using an electroplating method. The groups exhibited similar behavior when subjected to the disk diffusion test in the agar medium. However, the bacterial counts of the Ag-coated brackets were, in general, significantly lower (P<0.001) than those of their non-coated counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

Brackets coated with Ag, via an electroplating method, exhibited antibacterial properties when placed in direct contact with Streptococcus mutans. This antibacterial effect persisted for 30 days after contact with the bacteria.

Study on the Antibacterial Properties and Optical Characteristics of Clear Orthodontic Aligners Coated With Zinc Oxide and Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the antibacterial properties and optical characteristics of clear orthodontic aligners coated with zinc oxide (ZnO) and magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this experimental laboratory study, polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) aligner samples were coated with nanoparticles of ZnO, MgO and a combination of both (ZnO + MgO). The surface coatings were analysed before and after stability testing using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Colour changes and translucency were measured using a spectrophotometer, and the antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties were evaluated against Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus species. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS, with significance set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

Significant statistical differences were found in the colour changes between the groups (p < 0.001), with the greatest change in MgO-coated aligners (0.94 ± 0.09), followed by ZnO + MgO (0.75 ± 0.05) and ZnO (0.5 ± 0.09). ZnO-coated aligners exhibited the highest translucency (47.6 ± 0.44) compared to MgO (45.07 ± 0.74) and ZnO + MgO (45.76 ± 0.7) (p = 0.002 and p = 0.026, respectively). Nanoparticle-coated aligners showed significantly reduced bacterial growth (p < 0.05). The ZnO + MgO combination demonstrated superior antibacterial effects compared to individual coatings. Nanoparticles remained stable after 24-h agitation in artificial saliva and brushing, maintaining 60%-65% stability.

CONCLUSION

The aligners coated with ZnO nanoparticles exhibited the least colour change and the highest translucency compared to those coated with MgO nanoparticles and the ZnO + MgO combination. The highest antibacterial properties were observed in the aligners coated with a combination of ZnO and MgO nanoparticles.

Influence of COL2A1-G1405S polymorphism on mandibular skeletal malocclusions: A genetic association study and in silico analysis

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to assess the association between collagen type II alpha 1 chain (COL2A1) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP: rs2070739; C>T; G1405S) and mandibular skeletal malocclusions in the population of Mazandaran (North Iran).

DESIGN

During 13 months, 102 control samples, 81 samples with skeletal Class III malocclusion contributed by mandibular prognathism and 82 samples with skeletal Class II malocclusion contributed by mandibular retrognathism were screened. Cephalometric analysis was performed to determine the type of abnormalities. COL2A1-G1405S genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The HOPE tool was used to investigate the effect of COL2A1-G1405S on the three-dimensional structure of protein.

RESULTS

Results showed that there is no significant correlation between genotypes and alleles related to COL2A1-G1405S and mandibular prognathism (CT genotype: p-value= 0.210; T allele: p-value= 0.222). On the other hand, an association was observed between COL2A1-G1405S and mandibular retrognathism (CT genotype: p-value= 0.008; T allele: p-value= 0.011). The outputs of the HOPE tool also showed that COL2A1-G1405S can disrupt the NC1 domain of the protein.

CONCLUSIONS

Here, we provide evidence that COL2A1-G1405S polymorphism may have positive correlation with the risk of skeletal Class II malocclusion contributed by mandibular retrognathism in the population of Mazandaran. Given that the COL2A1-G1405S occurs in NC1 domain, it is possible that this domain plays an important role in signaling pathways related to ossification. So, we suggest that the study of COL2A1 SNPs can help researchers understand the significant role of this collagen in mandibular skeletal malocclusions.

Missense polymorphisms potentially involved in mandibular prognathism

Objective

The current study aimed to identify and analyze missense single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that can potentially cause mandibular prognathism.

Methods

After reviewing the articles, 56 genes associated with mandibular prognathism were identified and their missense SNPs were retrieved from the NCBI website. Several web-based tools including CADD, PolyPhen-2, PROVEAN, SNAP2, PANTHER, FATHMM, and PON-P2 were used to filter out harmful SNPs. Additionally, ConSurf determined the level of evolutionary conservation at positions where SNPs occur. I-Mutant2 and MUpro predicted the effect of SNPs on protein stability. Furthermore, to investigate the structural and functional changes of proteins, HOPE and LOMETS tools were utilized.

Results

Based on predictions in at least four web-based tools, the results indicated that PLXNA2-rs4844658, DUSP6-rs2279574, and FBN3-rs33967815 are harmful. These SNPs are located at positions with variable or average conservation and have the potential to reduce the stability of their respective proteins. Moreover, they may impair protein activity by causing structural and functional changes.

Conclusions

In this study, we identified PLXNA2-rs4844658, DUSP6-rs2279574, and FBN3-rs33967815 as potential risk factors for mandibular prognathism using several web-based tools. According to the possible roles of PLXNA2, DUSP6, and FBN3 proteins in ossification pathways, we recommend that these SNPs be investigated further in experimental research. Through such studies, we hope to gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in mandible formation.