Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the force decay of orthodontic elastomeric chains after immersion in disinfecting solutions. Methods: One-hundred and fifty segments of elastomeric chains were divided in 3 groups: Control group – no disinfection; Chlorhexidine group - disinfection in 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate solution; and Peracetic acid group - disinfection in 0.2% peracetic acid solution. Elastomeric chains of 14 mm were stretched up to 20 mm and the given force (kgf) was evaluated in an Instron universal testing machine at the following intervals: 1 h, 1 day, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after the immersion in the disinfecting solutions. Data (kgf) were analyzed statistically by Analysis of Variance and Tukey’s test at a 5% significance level. Results: Both groups presented similar force decay along 7 days and remained stable up to 28 days. Force degradation was observed in the first hours of activation (~50%). Conclusions: It may be concluded that there were no significant differences among the investigated groups, in most interval times, indicating that both chemical solutions can be used for previous disinfection of orthodontic elastomeric chains.
Highlights
Received for publication: September 08, 2014 Accepted: November 25, 2014The use of elastic chains is widely spread among orthodontists, as they are practical, effective, available in a wide range of colors, low cost and patients find them comfortable to use
The elastomeric chain segments were divided in 3 experimental groups (n=50), according to the immersion period and disinfectant solution: Control group – elastomeric chains not immersed in disinfectant solution; Chlorhexidine group – elastomeric chains immersed in 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate solution (Periogard, Colgate, São Paulo, SP, Brazil) for 10 min[15] and Peracetic acid group – elastomeric chains immersed in 0.2% peracetic acid-based solution for 30 min[16]
For samples immersed in chlorhexidine and peracetic acid, mean values continued to decrease from the 7th day of immersion on, but there was no difference among all other time intervals (p>0.05)
Summary
The use of elastic chains is widely spread among orthodontists, as they are practical, effective, available in a wide range of colors, low cost and patients find them comfortable to use. Their application in Orthodontics is very extensive and their main characteristic is the ability to return to their original size after deformation. Several studies have shown that over time the release forces of the elastics are gradually reduced in a process called deflection[1,2,3,4]. Spool dispensers were developed with the purpose of reducing contamination, but another option would be to immerse them in chemical solutions
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