The objective of this study was to evaluate the optical properties of rhodium-coated archwire compared with conventional archwire when used with esthetic brackets on shade guides and natural teeth.
The in vitro study was evaluated by a spectroradio...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the optical properties of rhodium-coated archwire compared with conventional archwire when used with esthetic brackets on shade guides and natural teeth.
The in vitro study was evaluated by a spectroradiometer (SR) on A2 shade guide and in vivo study was performed on the maxillary right central incisor by a spectrophotometer (SP). Three types of ceramic brackets (Clippy-C, Damon Clear, and Clarity) and .016” x .022” conventional and rhodium-coated nickel-titanium archwires were used for evaluation. The SR and SP measurements were performed on the labial surfaces of shade guides and natural teeth, respectively, after bracket bonding, followed by conventional and rhodium-coated wire insertions. The color differences (ΔE*) of conventional or rhodium-coated wires were calculated as in bracket-ligated state with respect to the bracket bonded surfaces before the wire insertion using the color parameters obtained by SR and SP according to the formula ΔE* = [(ΔL*)2 + (Δa*)2 + (Δb*)2]1/2 from Commission Internationale l’Eclairage color scale (CIELAB), where L* indicated lightness (100 = white, 0 = black), a* indicated red for positive and green for negative values, and b* indicated yellow for positive and blue for negative values.
The color differences (ΔE*) between conventional and rhodium-coated wires in vitro and in vivo studies were shown to be insignificant. The color differences (ΔE*) among the bracket types were significantly different in both in vitro and in vivo studies (p < .001). In the comparison of direct color difference values between the conventional and rhodium-coated wires, 100% of the SR-based values and 64.0% of the SP-based values were shown to be within invisible range (ΔE* < 1).
The larger surface area occupied by the bracket may have accounted for the significance in color differences according to the brackets rather than the types of wires.