Color changes of esthetic orthodontic ligatures evaluated by orthodontists and patients: A clinical study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate in vivo changes in the color of esthetic elastomeric ligatures from different manufacturers. Methods: Four widely used commercial brands of elastomeric ligatures were selected and used in 20 adult patients in a splitmouth design. The ligatures were evaluated by orthodontists and patients in a double-blind manner on the day the ligatures were placed (T0) and 30 days after intraoral exposure (T1) by means of a system of staining scores. Groups were compared by Friedman test with p < 0.05. Results: Orthodontists and patients reported similar staining scores (p > 0.05). Results showed that all brands underwent significant staining when exposed to the intraoral environment. Modularcrystal Morelli™ (Sorocaba, SP, Brazil) showed the highest degree of staining with the median reaching the maximum value (3); while the other brands (3M Unitek™, American Orthodontics™ and GAC Dentsply™) showed the median equal to 1 (p < 0.001). A large individual variability in the degree of staining was also found for all brands. Conclusions: All four brands of esthetic ligatures showed significant staining, which appeared to be more pronounced for the Morelli™ brand. Changes in color of the elastomeric ligatures were perceived similarly by patients and orthodontists. The industry needs to improve the color stability of esthetic ligatures.