Date of Award

Spring 2004

Document Type

Thesis - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Dentistry

First Advisor

Bradley, T. G.

Second Advisor

Berzins, David

Third Advisor

Villalobos, Francisco

Abstract

The orthodontic profession has experienced an abundance of different brackets produced by various manufacturers over the years. Titanium orthodontic brackets have been recently introduced. Minimal research on the properties of titanium brackets exists. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in microstructure and microhardness of titanium orthodontic brackets in comparison to traditional stainless steel brackets. Four different types of orthodontic brackets were tested, consisting of two titanium and two stainless steel brackets. The brackets were subjected to x-ray microtomography and Vickers microhardness testing. Two-way Anova and Tukey's test were the statistical analyses used to report the results of the Vickers microhardness testing. Comparisons were made between the materials of the brackets, and the components (wing and base) of the brackets. The significance level was p

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