Fracture Strength of Soldered and Laser Welded Orthodontic Bands and Wires With and Without Filling Material: A Preliminary Report

Abstract

Aim:The aim of this study was to compare the fracture strength of orthodontic band-wire joints made by conventional silver soldering and different laser welding procedures and detect the effects of the surface preparation with sandblasting to the fracture strength of the laser welding. Materials and Methods: Forty specimens were divided to four groups (n=10); group 1; brazing with silver solder, group 2; laser welding (Desktop Compact Laser, Dentaurum,Germany) with sandblasting (with 50 μm aluminum oxide), group 3; laser welding with filling material and sandblasting, group 4; laser welding with filling material without sandblasting. The fracture strengths were measured using a universal testing machine (Lloyd Instruments plc.). Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test (p=0.05). Results: Silver soldering showed the highest fracture strength value and it significantly differed from the laser welding groups. Although group 3 (with filling material and sandblasting) showed great strength, laser welding groups did not show any statistically significant differences between each other. Conclusions: In conclusion, silver solder showed the highest mechanical property. Laser welding with filler material and sandblasting showed sufficient strength for clinical use and can be used for the band-wire joining while orthodontic appliance fabrication.

Longevity of Laser Welded Space Maintainers: A Retrospective Cohort Study

“…Another point of concern for silver soldered SMs is the reduced corrosion resistance as a result of galvanic corrosion between different types of metals. High corrosion rates can influence mechanical strength and biocompatibility [4,13] .…”

“…On the contrary, both safety issues and mechanical considerations encourage the shift to laser welding.Laboratory tests revealed that laser welding provided superior mechanical strength and microhardness of joints compared to silver solder [5,13] .…”