Topographical and tribological characterization of some ceramic and stainless steel brackets

Brackets, together with the arch wires, are widely used in orthodontics in order to align and to straighten teeth and also to position the teeth with regard to the patient bite. Different materials are employed for manufacturing such orthodontic devices. This paper is a study of two types of brackets. Commercial stainless steel and ceramic brackets were investigated by atomic force microscopy analyses. The tests were performed at room temperature with a relative humidity of 13 %. The topography and the friction parameters of the investigated brackets were determined at nanoscale. The results pointed out that the ceramic brackets are characterized by higher values of both topographical and frictional parameters (average roughness, friction force and friction coefficient) in comparison to the stainless steel brackets.