An Invitro Comparison of Force Loss of Orthodontic Non-Latex Elastics

Objective: The amount and consistency of the applied forces to the tooth are im- portant factors in tooth movements; therefore, the aim of this study was to com- pare the initial force and the force loss of three brands of elastics in 24 hours. Materials and Methods: In this in-vitro study sixty non-latex elastics (3/16 me- dium) from three companies (Forestadent, Dentaurum and Ortho Technology) were randomly selected. Two static tests were performed, the first in a dry envi- ronment to evaluate the initial force and the other performed in a wet environment (artificial saliva) to evaluate the force loss in 24 hours. The Universal testing ma- chine measured the forces after stretching the elastics to three times the lumen di- ameter. Data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA, One-way ANOVA, Tukey-HSD, Paired samples test, and one sample test. Results: The difference between the brands was significant (p=0.002). Force loss was observed in all samples; 4-7.5% force loss occurred after one hour and 19- 38% force loss occurred after 24 hours. The average initial force of Forestadent and Ortho Technology was significantly higher than marketed forces (p<0.001), but the initial force of Dentaurum elastics was similar to the marketed force. Conclusion: The force loss over 24 hours time period was Foresta- dent>Dentaurum>Ortho-Technology. According to the initial force and force loss percentage it is suggested to replace the non-latex elastics several times a day.