Abstract
Guiding a tooth along an arch wire results in a counteracting frictional force among arch wires, bracket and ligature. This frictional forces should be eliminated or minimized when orthodontic teeth movement is being planned. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes of width, cross-sectional forms and surface morphologies of stainless steel wire and $Elgiloy^{\circledR}$ wire after electropolising. Experimental variables included in this experiment were arch wire materials, current, electrolyte temperature and polishing time. Wire widths were measured by micrometer and cross-sectional forms and surface morphologies were examined with optical microscope and scanning electron microcope. The results were as follows: 1. The mean and standard deviation of widths of stainless steel wire and $Elgiloy^{\circledR}$ wire varying polishing time with condition of $249A/dm^2$ and $20^{\circ}C,\;249A/dm^2$ and, $332A/dm^2$ and $20^{\circ}C$ and $332A/dm^2$ and $250^{\circ}C$ were obtained. 2. With increasing polishing time, the widths of stainless steel wire and $Elgiloy^{\circledR}$ wire became decreased proportionally 3. The changes of widths of stainless steel wire and $Elgiloy^{\circledR}$ wire were statistically insignificant between $20^{\circ}C$ group and $25^{\circ}C$ group, but significant between $249A/dm^2$ group and $332A/dm^2$ group. 4 The cross-sectional forms of wire after electropolishing were not changed in stainless steel wire, and while it were changed to rounded corners in $Elgiloy^{\circledR}$ wire. 5. The surface morphologies of wire after electropolishing were scratch-absent and more smoothened both in stainless steel wire and $Elgiloy^{\circledR}$ wire.