ANALYSIS OF AN ORTHODONTIC DELTA SPRING AND ITS INFLUENCE IN THE DENTAL MOVEMENT: A NUMERIC EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Abstract

Devices known as orthodontic springs are frequently used in dentistry to provide dental movement in a clinical treatment. Orthodontic springs are, basically, elements manufactured in metallic wire which forces and moments are directly related to the types of translation movement, controlled tilt and no controlled tilt of the teeth. This article allies three dimensional finite element analysis, largely applied in engineering, with experimental methods for the development of an orthodontic delta spring, evaluating the stresses, forces, moments and the ratio moment force, in order to foresee some types of dental movements with the use of the proposed spring. It was verified null dental extrusion forces and maximum activation of up to 8.0 mm (maximum von Mises stress equal to 1,226.8 MPa) as well as the possibility of the induction of dental movements like no controlled - controlled tilt of root and controlled tilt of crown with the use of this spring. Keywords: Orthodontic springs, finite element method, experimental analysis.