Determination of orthodontic bracket and tooth adaptation using an X-ray micro-computer tomography scanner

Abstract

The determination of the orthodontic brackets’ adaptation to the curvatures of teeth is a difficult topic to study. The complexity arise due to the different designs of their fitting surfaces, margins and curvatures of orthodontic brackets. Teeth on the other hand have variation in their curvatures and the question remains how well an orthodontic brackets truly adapt to the teeth. Previous methods from the literature determined the curvature of teeth through the superimposition of circular templates onto dental plaster models as well as the use of acrylic arcs of various diameters. Here the authors describe a method to compare the curvatures obtained from an industrial X-ray micro-computer tomography scanner and processing software of orthodontic brackets and plaster casts of teeth. Three orthodontic brackets could be assessed by establishing co-ordinate points of proposed standardized landmarks on the orthodontic brackets. These standardized landmarks from each orthodontic bracket can be applied onto the various plaster teeth that was scanned. The adaptation of the three brackets to the various teeth can be compared by looking at their radii and angles that were determined in this method.•The analysis of orthodontic brackets and teeth curvatures have been streamlined on a virtual platform.•Analysis of X-ray micro-computer tomography of tooth curvatures provide a guide to the range of curvatures that orthodontic brackets need to fit.•X-ray micro-computer tomography of orthodontic brackets can enhance the design of the brackets to fit a large array of tooth curvatures.