Evaluation and comparison of surface characteristics of commercially available TMA wires using scanning electron microscopy and optical profilometer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the surface characteristics of colored titanium molybdenum alloy archwires (purple-coated TMA and honey dew-coated TMA) and the regular titanium molybdenum alloy archwires. The experiment comprised three groups, Group I - regular TMA archwires, Group II - purple-coated TMA archwires, Group III - honey dew-coated TMA wires involving 21 samples each. The surface characteristics were assessed using scanning electron microscopy and optical profilometer. The results were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance wherein Group I regular TMA wires exhibited a root mean square value of 148.071 nm and a standard deviation of 9.0027 nm followed by group II (purple-coated TMA wires) which showed a root mean square value of 84.095 nm with a standard deviation of 2.6005 nm, while group III (honey dew-coated TMA wires) was found to have a root mean square value of 71.681 nm with a standard deviation of 1.4645 nm on subjecting to optical profilometry. The surface roughness is higher for regular TMA wire exhibiting superior characteristic of color-coated TMA wires, especially honey dew-coated TMA wires over the regular and purple-coated TMA wires. This property of the archwires details regarding its application in both sliding and frictionless mechanics in retraction phase of fixed orthodontic treatment.

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