A number of studies examined the forces and moments developed during wire ligation with conventional and self-ligating brackets and force relaxation of polymeric elastics, employing custom-made configurations. These papers revealed that the direction of movement and number of teeth engaged in the arch, significantly affect the force applied to teeth with various wire-bracket combinations. [...]
This research program utilized mechanical testing, metallographic etching, microhardness testing, SEM, and X-ray microtomography to reveal the surface and bulk morphology and structure of brackets of different composition and manufacturing process, i.e., laser-welding, metal-injection-molding (MIM) and Ni-, Au- and Ag-brazing. The ionic release from metals and alloys was studied and the significant biological implications were assessed. [...]
