A. Jon Goldberg

Beta titanium: A new orthodontic alloy

Historically, few alloys have been used in the fabrication of orthodontic appliances. This article reviews the gold-based, stainless steel, chrome-cobalt-nickel, and nitinol alloys, as well as beta titanium, a new material for orthodontics. Mechanical properties and manipulative characteristics are summarized to develop a basis for the selection of the proper alloy for a given clinical situation. The beta titanium wire has a unique balance of low stiffness, high springback, formability, and weldability which indicates its use in a wide range of clinical applications. A number of such applications are described.

DEVELOPMENT AND CLINICAL APPLICATIONS OF A LIGHT-POLYMERIZED FIBER-REINFORCED COMPOSITE

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM After 0 years of intermittent reports in the literature, the use of fiber reinforcement is just now experiencing rapid expansion in dentistry. PURPOSE This article describes the development and use of a continuous, unidirectional fiber reinforced composite as a framework for the fabrication of fixed prostheses. METHODS By using various matrix materials and fibers, a number of fiber-reinforced composite formulations were evaluated with the goal of creating a system with optimized mechanical properties and handling characteristics. Fiber-reinforced composite based on a light polymerized BIS-GMA matrix has been used clinically to make 2-phase prostheses comprised of an internal glass fiber-reinforced composite substructure covered by a particulate composite. The clinical and laboratory procedures required for the fabrication and use of reinforced composite fixed prostheses are described for laboratory-fabricated complete or partial coverage fixed prosthesis and chairside prosthesis. RESULTS Although additional clinical experience is needed, fiber-reinforced composite materials can be used to make metal-free prostheses with excellent esthetic qualities.

Effect of investment on casting high-fusing alloys.

A definite interaction in castability was found between the three different phosphate-bonded investments and four different alloys tested in this study. 1. Casting completeness of all alloys, as measured by the length of test specimens, was affected by the investment. The high-gold content alloy, SMG II, yielded the most complete castings of all combinations teted when invested with Ceramigold. Of the nonprecious alloys, Biobond CB combined with Ceramigold II resulted in the longest samples. 2. The surface quality of Jelbon and SMG II castings was good, regardless of the investment used. Wiron S and Biobond CB varied in surface quality with different investments, Ceramigold II giving the smoothest castings. 3. All alloys, especially the nonprecious ones, should be tested for compatability with different investments before asserting their qualities or lack of qualities for clinical use.

Optimal welding of beta titanium orthodontic wires

Today the orthodontist is confronted by an array of new orthodontic wire materials that, when applied to appliance design, can vastly increase the flexibility and versatility of therapy. Welded joints, especially for the newer titanium alloy wires, provide a means to extend the useful applications of these materials. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimum settings for electrical resistance welding of various configurations of titanium-molybdenum (TMA) wires. Specimens were of a t-joint configuration and were mechanically tested in torsion to simulate the failure mode most often observed in clinical practice. Variables included wire size, wire orientation, and welding voltage. Results indicated that excellent welds can be obtained with very little loss of strength and ductility in the area of the weld joint. Torsional loads at failure were at least 90% of the unwelded base material. Although a wide range of voltage settings resulted in high-strength welds, typically a narrow range of voltages yielded optimal ductility.