Variation in form of mandibular, light, round, preformed NiTi archwires

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the variation in form of nickel-Titanium (NiTi) archwires by comparing them with the dental arch form of normal Japanese subjects before and after placing them in the first molar tubes. Materials and Methods: The mandibular dental casts of 30 normal subjects were scanned, and the dental arch depths and widths from the canine to the first molar were measured. Standardized images of 34 types of 0.016-inch preformed NiTi archwires were also taken in a 37°C environment, and the widths were measured and then classified by cluster analysis. Images of these archwires placed in a custom jig with brackets attached at the mean locations of the normal mandibular central incisors and first molar were additionally taken. The widths of the pooled and classified archwires were then compared with the normal dental arch widths before and after placement in the jig and among the groups (P