Vytautas Sabataitis¹, Vilija Berlin²

¹Institute of Odontology, Medical Faculty, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania

²Vilnius University Hospital Zalgiris Clinic, Vilnius, Lithuania

Abstract

Backround and aim of the work:  a contemporary patient seeks to achieve the most aesthetically pleasing orthodontic treatment therefore chooses colorless elastic ligatures instead of metal ligatures. However, elastic ligatures tend to change their color due to food colorings and impair esthetics.  Aim of this study is to evaluate and compare in vitro color change due to staining solutions of the most frequently used aesthetic orthodontic elastic ligatures offered by different companies in Lithuanian market.

Materials and Methods: fourteen different types ligatures were immersed for 72 hours in four different solutions: distilled water (control), coffee, black tee, and wine. Ligatures’ color change was measured with spectrophotometer and evaluated by the Commission Internationale d’Éclairage color system and National Bureau of Standards units

Results:  Coffee was the most staining solution. Color change of all ligatures were from 4,32 (appreciable) to 24,71 (change to another color). Statistically significant and the smallest color change was observed in these ligatures: “Tooth” (GC), “Tooth” (America Orthodontics) and “Clear” (3M) with “Pearl” (American Orthodontics). The biggest color change was observed in “Clear” (American Orthodontics), “Clear” (GC), “Clear” (Ormco) and “Tooth” (Ormco) ligatures after the immersion. In group of all “Clear” ligatures only elastic ligatures by 3M showed statistically significant smallest colour alteration (p<0,01).

Conclusion:  all tested elastic orthodontic ligatures change their color after immersion in staining solutions and the color alteration is perceptible by human eye. Statistically significant color change between different types of ligatures was found.

Keywords: Easthetic orthodontic, orthodontic appliances, Orthodontic ligatures.