The Effects of Air Abrasive Polishing on the Release of Iron Ions from Various Orthodontic Arch Wires (Stainless Steel and Nickel Titanium)

Orthodontic treatment with has been increasingly demanded. However, when using fixed appliances for orthodontic treatment, oral hygiene is compromised, and there is a higher chance of developing dental stains, plaque-related diseases, and corrosion-related problems. Air abrasive polishing had a superior effect over the conventional method in removing dental deposits, however, its effect on corrosion process was not investigated thoroughly in details. This study designed to assess the effects of air polishing onion release and surface micromorphology of stainless steel and Nickel titanium arch wires. A total of 288 ( stainless-steel , coated stainless steel , Nickel titanium and coated Nickel titanium rectangular arch wires ) of one brand ( The Ultimate Wire) ™ From IOS (International Orthodontic Services, Stafford, USA), (0.016 * 0.022 ) were subjected to varying air abrasion polishing periods (5, 10, and 20 seconds), after which they were immersed in artificial saliva with a pH of 6.75 and incubated at 37°C for 28 days. Ion release was measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer at 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days. The cumulative effect was then calculated. After polishing the chosen sample, corrosion and surface changes were evaluated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The significant difference between the analysed groups was found using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the LSD test, with a significance level of p 0.05. The results revealed that all types of arch wire showed a significant amount of release in the tested ions and the amounts of nickel and iron ions released was higher than chromium ion. Additionally, the longer the polishing time the higher the number of ions release that’s yields the level of significance, air abrasion polishing increased surface roughness and surface pits and crevices.It may be concluded that the air polishing method enhanced the amount of ion release to a subtoxic level and could be employed in adult patients with a lengthy time between visits.This study was performed to:1. Evaluate the effect of calcium carbonate airborne particles abrasion with different polishing times 5, 10 and 20 seconds on (Fe) ions release from orthodontic arch wires. 2. Assess the surface micromorphology of orthodontic arch wires after air polishing procedure.