Corrosion behaviour of metallic biomaterials used as orthodontic wires

Purpose: The aim of the work was evaluation of the corrosion resistance of the commercial metallic orthodontic wires from different manufacturers in simulated intra-oral environment. Design/methodology/approach: Corrosion resistance tests were carried out in artificial saliva at the temperature 37 ± 1° C with the use of the VoltaLab ® PGP 201 system for electrochemical tests. The saturated calomel electrode (SCE) was applied as the reference electrode and the auxiliary electrode was a platinum foil. The evaluation of pitting corrosion was realized by recording of anodic polarization curves with the use of the potentiodynamic method. In order to evaluate crevice corrosion resistance the samples were polarized in the potential equal to 0.8 V by 900 seconds. Findings: Results of corrosion resistance tests of the CrNi, NiTi and CuNiTi wires showed comparable data of parameters obtained in the artificial saliva. Research limitations/implications: The obtained results show the influence of artificial saliva on the electrochemical corrosion of orthodontic wires. In order to demonstrate the higher risk of corrosion, which can have two consequences: a loss of the physical properties and the release of Ni ions (which have been shown to be toxic and the cause of allergic reactions) - additional research on fatigue corrosion should be carried out. Originality/value: The analysis of the obtained results show that that commonly used materials for making orthodontic wires (because of their interesting properties - elasticity and shape memory) can be used in different orthodontic treatment stages to correct numerous clinical conditions. The most favorable characteristics were observed for the new NiTi samples (American Orthodontics).