ABSTRACT
Nickel and chromium are two major metals used in the alloys of most orthodontic appliances. But these metals are known to cause hypersensitivity, dermatitis, and asthma. In addition, a significant carcinogenic and mutagenic potential has been demonstrated for compounds containing these metals. The purpose of this study was to find out how much nickel and chromium was released from orthodontic appliances, and which factors would influence the release. The simulated orthodontic appliances were constructed for a half of a mandibular arch and incubated in 0.05% NaCl solution at 37degrees C. Nickel and chromium release was quantified with an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) spectroanalyzer. The results were as follows : 1. From simulated orthodontic appliances, nickel was released 9.83-70.0microgram/day but the release of chromium was not detectable in limit of 10ppb. 2. The amount of nickel release was significantly different between the types of appliances. 3. The galvanic condition increased the amount of nickel release, which was not statistically significant. 4. The sand blasting increased the amount of nickel release, which was also not statistically significant.