COLOR VARIATION ASSESSMENT OF ESTHETIC BRACES

Abstract

Orthodontics is nowadays a friend to adults, just as much as it is to children. Adults are interested in orthodontic corrections but they also have a keen interest in their aspect during treatment. Esthetic braces are frequently used by adults, but few patients are properly informed in respect to the color changes that may occur to the braces during treatment. In order to better inform our patients, and to explain the disadvantages of different types of esthetic braces on the market, we have conducted a comparative study between three producers. The braces were exposed to different food dyes, for various periods of time- (from 24 to 144 hours) and their color variation was analyzed with a spectrophotometer. Results show that esthetic braces suffer color alteration regardless of the producer, with little variation related to the food dye investigated.

Keywords

• aesthetic brackets
• color alterations
• food dyes
• orthodontic