Effect of clinical use of nickel-titanium springs

•We tested nickel-titanium closed-coil springs before use and after 6 months of use.•We examined the slope and force of the pseudoplateau and elastic recovery.•The properties of the springs decayed significantly over time.•Slope increased slightly.•Force decreased up to 88%, and permanent deformation occurred.

IntroductionOur objectives were to determine whether there are changes on the load deflection rate (L/DP) and the average force (FP) of the superelastic pseudoplateau, and whether permanent deformation is changed in nickel-titanium closed-coil springs (CCSs) after 6 months of clinical use.MethodsTwenty-two nickel-titanium CCSs (Sentalloy 100 g; Dentsply GAC, York, Pa) were subjected to tensile mechanical testing at 37°C on activations varying from 3.2 to 16.0 mm before and after 6 months of clinical use. A regression line was fitted over the most horizontal area of the unloading part of the stress-strain graph of every CCS, and its slope was used as L/DP. The FP was determined by the midpoint of the longest segment of the curve that could be fit within the regression line with a R2 of at least 0.999, and permanent deformation was determined graphically by obtaining the strain value when the measured stress reached zero. The data were analyzed by 3 analyses of variance at 2 levels, with 5% of significance.ResultsTime and activation significantly influenced the variables tested (P < 0.001). Time increased the L/DP and permanent deformation but decreased the FP. Activation decreased L/DP, FP, and permanent deformation. Significant interactions between time and activation were detected for FP (P = 0.013) and deformation (P < 0.001).ConclusionsAfter 6 months of active clinical use, the analyzed springs had a significant but small increase in their L/DP; FP dropped up to 88%, and the CCSs deformed up to 1.26 mm.