Influence of Contact Friction on Force-Deflection of Orthodontic NiTi Archwire: A Computational Study

  • M. F. Razali
  • A. S. MahmudEmail author
Conference paper


The force response of NiTi archwire with respect to tooth movement in orthodontic leveling treatment depends largely on the sliding resistance of a bracket system. This study investigated the influence of contact friction between the wire and the bracket towards the force-deflection behavior of superelastic NiTi wire. A finite-element model of a three-bracket bending configuration was developed, and a user material subroutine was employed to predict the force response. The archwire was bent to a certain displacement representing the curvature of the wire when installed in a patient, and the coefficient of contact friction with the brackets was defined at a range of 0.1–0.5. This investigation revealed that the force plateau of NiTi archwire occurred at positive slope, with steeper gradient recorded on the model with a higher friction coefficient. This implies that lower contact friction is preferable in a bracket system to preserve the force plateau characteristic.


Nickel-titanium archwire Bracket friction Force-deflection Bending 



The authors are grateful for the financial support provided by Universiti Sains Malaysia under the grant RUI 1001/PMEKANIK/814244.


  1. 1.
    Williams CL, Khalaf K (2013) Frictional resistance of three types of ceramic brackets. J Oral Maxillofac Res 4:e3Google Scholar
  2. 2.
    Segner D, Ibe D (1995) Properties of superelastic wires and their relevance to orthodontic treatment. Eur J Orthod 17:395–402CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. 3.
    Pesce RE et al (2014) Evaluation of rotational control and forces generated during first-order archwire deflections: a comparison of self-ligating and conventional brackets. Eur J Orthod 36:245–254CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. 4.
    Gatto E et al (2013) Load-deflection characteristics of superelastic and thermal nickel-titanium wires. Eur J Orthod 35:115–123CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. 5.
    Nucera R et al (2014) Influence of bracket-slot design on the forces released by superelastic nickel-titanium alignment wires in different deflection configurations. Angle Orthod 84:541–547CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. 6.
    Bartzela TN, Senn C, Wichelhaus A (2007) Load-deflection characteristics of superelastic nickel-titanium wires. Angle Orthod 77:991–998CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Badawi HM et al (2009) Three-dimensional orthodontic force measurements. Am J Orthod Dentofac Orthop 136:518–528CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. 8.
    Burrow SJ (2009) Friction and resistance to sliding in orthodontics: a critical review. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 135:442–447CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. 9.
    Hamdan A, Rock P (2008) The effect of different combinations of tip and torque on archwire/bracket friction. Eur J Orthod 30:508–514CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. 10.
    Major PW et al (2014) Effect of wire size on maxillary arch force/couple systems for a simulated high canine malocclusion. J Orthod 41:285–291CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    Doshi UH, Bhad-Patil WA (2011) Static frictional force and surface roughness of various bracket and wire combinations. Am J Orthod Dentofac Orthop 139:74–79CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. 12.
    Proffit WR, Fields Jr HW, Sarver DM (2014) Contemporary orthodontics. Elsevier Health SciencesGoogle Scholar
  13. 13.
    Auricchio F, Taylor RL (1997) Shape-memory alloys: modelling and numerical simulations of the finite-strain superelastic behavior. Comput Methods Appl Mech Eng 143:175–194CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. 14.
    Auricchio F, Sacco E (1999) A temperature-dependent beam for shape-memory alloys: Constitutive modelling, finite-element implementation and numerical simulations. Comput Methods Appl Mech Eng 174:171–190CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. 15.
    Whitley JQ, Kusy RP (2007) Influence of interbracket distances on the resistance to sliding of orthodontic appliances. Am J Orthod Dentofac Orthop 132:360–372CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. 16.
    Kusy RP, Whitley John Q (1990) Coefficients of friction for arch wires in stainless steel and polycrystalline alumina bracket slots. I. The dry state. Am J Orthod Dentofac Orthop 98:300–312CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. 17.
    Thalman TD (2008) Unloading behavior and potential binding of superelastic orthodontic leveling wires. M.Sc. thesis, Saint Louis UniversityGoogle Scholar
  18. 18.
    Baccetti T et al (2009) Forces produced by different nonconventional bracket or ligature systems during alignment of apically displaced teeth. Angle Orthod 79:533–539CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society 2018

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Nanofabrication and Functional Materials Research Group, School of Mechanical EngineeringUniversiti Sains MalaysiaPenangMalaysia

Personalised recommendations