Introduction: The increasing demand for esthetics has promoted the development
of wires coated with polymeric materials such as polymer matrix reinforced with glassfibers.
Thus, the surface and thickness of metallic-coated wires can be modified to affect
corrosive properties, mechanical durability and especially friction forces. Aim: To
evaluate the frictional properties between Teflon coated and non-coated stainless-steel
orthodontic arch-wires (0.017 x 0.025-inches and 0.019 x 0.025-inches) with ceramic
brackets of 0.018 and 0.022-inch slots. Material and methods: Sixteen orthodontic
maxillary premolar mono-crystalline ceramic brackets, eight brackets with 0.018-inch
and eight brackets with 0.022-inch slot size. Roth prescription were used. Twenty
stainless-steel 0.017 x 0.025-inch arch-wires were used (ten Teflon coated and ten noncoated).
Twenty stainless-steel 0.019 x 0.025-inch arch-wires were used (ten Teflon
coated and ten non-coated). All arch-wires were cut to symmetrical equal halves using
a wire cutter at the midline and each half was used separately. The total number of
wire segments used in the study was eighty orthodontic maxillary stainless-steel archwires.
Each ceramic bracket tested five wire segments using new elastomeric modules
each time. Each bracket was translated the same distance (5mm) relative to its wire
segment by the LR5K Lloyd universal testing machine at the same speed of (5mm
per minute). Results: The non-coated 17x25 –inch thickness stainless steel arch-wires
showed higher friction than coated ones and the non-coated 0.019 x 0.025-inch. The
coated 0.019x 0.025-inches stainless steel wire segments showed significant highest
friction of 1687.25±97.5 than non-coated 0.019x 0.025-inches and coated/non-coated
0.017x 0.025-inches wire segments. Conclusion: The coated stainless-steel arch-wires
had higher friction than the non-coated stainless-steel arch-wires on mono-crystalline
ceramic brackets.