Abstract
The development of Superelastic nickel-titanium archwires has simplified the alignment phase of orthodontic treatment by permitting the use of highly flexible, resilient archwires and avoiding the need for complex loops. The majority of relatively high cost has led to sterilization and recycling of these wires by some clinicians. This study way designed to examine the effects of currently used infection contorl procedures on the mechanical properties of superelastic nickel-titanium alloy (SENTA®) archwires. One-hundred-and-forty lengths of a SENTA® wire were subjected to various sterilization and disinfection procedures. These included cold disinfection in 2 per cent glutaraladehyde solution for 3-and 24-hour cyles, and steam autoclaving. Single and double cycles were used. The properties investigated were the 0·1 per cent yield strengh, the ultimate tensile strength, and the flexural regidity. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups or against an untreated control.
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