Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the friction of two types of polycrystalline ceramic brackets before and after aging. A total of 60 second-upper right premolar brackets were divided into two groups: Clarity™ Advanced (3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA) and Clarity™ (3M Unitek). All brackets had a nominal 0.022-in slot size and a McLaughlin Bennett Travesi (MBT) prescription. Each bracket was submitted to a friction test, using the YL01 UTM universal testing machine (YLE GMBH, Germany) before and after thermocycling. All tests were carried out in the presence of artificial saliva, using .019×.025-in. rectangular stainless steel (SS) archwires (3M Unitek). Bracket slot surfaces were observed under an optical microscope (Olympus CX41, Tokyo, Japan) before and after aging. Before aging, the Clarity Advanced group showed significantly lower friction than the Clarity group (P=0.011). After aging, the friction of the Clarity Advanced bracket decreased significantly (P<0.001), whereas the friction of the Clarity bracket increased significantly (P<0.001). The microscopic qualitative evaluation showed that the slot surfaces of all aged Clarity brackets revealed important pit corrosion when compared with the original brackets. The new Clarity Advanced ceramic bracket shows good physical friction properties due to the various modifications added by the manufacturers.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
