Color stability of esthetic coatings applied to nickel-titanium archwires

Abstract Introduction Color stability is an important feature to be considered when using esthetic coated archwires. Objective To evaluate color changes on the surface of esthetic nickel-titanium archwires coated with Teflon (Ortho Organizers, USA) or epoxy resin (Tecnident, Brazil) after immersion in staining solution. Material and method Twelve 20-mm-long wire segments were used for each type of coating, which were mounted as two test specimens with a width of 7 mm each. The buccal surface of the archwires was evaluated for fluorescence and color measurements both at baseline and after immersion in a staining solution for 21 days using the VITA Easyshade® Compact spectrophotometer (Model DEASYC220). Differences in total color change according to coating type were compared using an independent samples t-test (p<0.05). The surface characteristics of as-received coated archwires were assessed using scanning electron microscopy. Result Color changes were observed on the esthetic coatings, with a significant difference between the two brands analyzed. Surface analysis revealed flaws such as wear, pitting, elevations, lack of material, granulation, grooves, cracks, and lack of standardization in the coating process in all as-received archwires, but flaws were less evident in epoxy-resin coatings. Conclusion The two esthetic coatings did not show color stability, but Teflon coatings showed a more intense color change than epoxy-resin coatings.