Permanent stainless steel wire retainer after braces

[Dr. B]

I got braces back in highschool, and after removing them the options were a removable plastic retainer you would have to wear every night when sleeping, and even during the day when not eating or drinking, or a permanent stainless steel wire retainer which is stuck on the backs of the upper and lower front teeth

I got the stainless steel wire retainer.

I was wondering which metals would be leeching from this retainer over time, would it be nickel and tin?

and what can be done to help detox any metal absorbed from the retainer over time? high dose thiamine?

 

[Dustin94]

I can't answer specifically to your questions, but I can say I wore a wire retainer for a couple years after braces, and decided to take the wire retainer off on a whim. After taking it off it was discovered I had 2 cavities on the backsides of my teeth! Definitely not worth having it for that reason and it's not easy to clean the teeth around the wire. Wearing plastic retainers/mouthguards at night seems like the easier solution.

 

[Dr. B]

I can't answer specifically to your questions, but I can say I wore a wire retainer for a couple years after braces, and decided to take the wire retainer off on a whim. After taking it off it was discovered I had 2 cavities on the backsides of my teeth! Definitely not worth having it for that reason and it's not easy to clean the teeth around the wire. Wearing plastic retainers/mouthguards at night seems like the easier solution.

wouldnt you then absorb plastic? it dissolves much easier than metal. also ive had the retainer for 10 years or more and i havent had cavities. it's a thin wire that runs across the middle of the upper and lower front teeth, so it hasnt caused cavities. the only thing is it makes it difficult to floss, you have to get those loop things if you want to floss those teeth, or use a water flosser.
what about the metals? what metals are in stainless steel, how much of those would you be absorbing into the system every 24 hours and how can we help detox those?

 

[Dustin94]

I'm not sure about absorbing plastic, but the plastic retainers at night are "hard" plastic, and I believe those do not "leak".

Your experience may be difference than mine, but we only discovered the cavities after removing the metal wire retainers.

I'm not quite sure about the metals and the absorption of them.

 

[souperhuman]

In vitro surface corrosion of stainless steel and NiTi orthodontic appliances - PubMed

Simulated fixed orthodontic appliances were constructed, immersed and incubated in artificial saliva for periods up to three months. Two types of stainless steel archwires and two types of NiTi wires were used. The surface corrosion of the archwires was determined macroscopically, with scanning...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Simulated fixed orthodontic appliances were constructed, immersed and incubated in artificial saliva for periods up to three months. Two types of stainless steel archwires and two types of NiTi wires were used. The surface corrosion of the archwires was determined macroscopically, with scanning electron microscopy, and with spectrophotometry. The deposits on the wires were identified with X-ray diffraction. Uniform corrosion was observed on stainless steel wires, and a slight colour change was detected on the NiTi wires beneath stainless steel ligatures. The corrosion product on the stainless steel wires increased with immersion time, and the surface oxide films were easily detached from the underlying matrix. Crevice corrosion was observed under deposits of oxide, and at the interface between bracket and band. Such corrosion may weaken a wire or weld leading to fracture. In contrast, the NiTi archwires did not corrode, and there was no significant difference in surface morphology. The stainless steel archwires showed a significant loss of reflectance after heat treatment and immersion in artificial saliva. The NiTi archwires had the same reflectance before and after the immersion test. NiTi archwires are significantly more stable and resistant to corrosion than stainless steel archwires.

Analyses of rampant corrosion in stainless-steel retainers of orthodontic patients - PubMed

Retainers were collected from private, university, and dental labs. After viewing these corroded and control appliances using scanning electron microscopy, corroded maxillary and mandibular retainers were selected along with a control stainless-steel retainer for in-depth chemical analysis...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"Retainers were collected from private, university, and dental labs. After viewing these corroded and control appliances using scanning electron microscopy, corroded maxillary and mandibular retainers were selected along with a control stainless-steel retainer for in-depth chemical analysis. Using electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, monochromated Al x-rays were rastered over areas 1.5 x 0.3 mm. After survey spectra were acquired, high-resolution multiplex scans were obtained and binding energy shifts were noted. Using Auger electron spectroscopy, a spot size of approximately 30 nm was analyzed. Photos, survey scans, and depth profiles were acquired using a 3.5kV Ar(+) ion beam that was calibrated using a SiO2 standard. Via electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, the brown stains contained Fe and Cr decomposition products in which three carbon species were present. Proteinaceous N was found as amines or amides. No Ni was present because it had solubilized. The Cr:Fe ratio indicated severe Cr depletion in the stained regions (0.2) versus the control regions (1.3). The stained regions appeared mottled, having both dark and light areas. Via AES, the dark versus light areas of the stained regions indicated that there was an absence versus a presence of both Cr and Ni. In the dark areas corrosion penetrated 700 nm; in the light areas the depth equaled 30 nm. By comparison, the passivated layer of the control retainer was 10-nm thick. After sputtering away the affected areas, all specimens had similar spectra as the control regions. The bacterial environment created the mottled appearance and induced electrochemical potential differences so that, upon reducing the passivated layer, an otherwise corrosion-resistant alloy became susceptible to rampant corrosion. An integrated biological-biomaterial model is presented for the classic case of an orthodontic acrylic-based stainless steel retainer subject to crevice corrosion."

These supposedly "corrosion resistant" materials are not actually that resistant. The first study was done in artificial saliva, but the environment of a mouth is much different. I imagine there are galvanic reactions at play, not just acid corrosion. I had one of the titanium ones and it became worn and uncomfortable after six years. I had it removed, when they took it off it snapped in half it was so brittle. I think they are a chronic source of heavy metal toxicity.

 

[kyhmil]

I had my removed after several years, one of the best choices I’ve made!

 

[Lollipop2]

Hey where is @Mr.Bollox? Haven’t seen him around in a while.

 

[AlaskaJono]

Back in the day ... I had a removable retainer that I wore at night, and sometimes in the day, after almost 5 years of braces.. The metal was stainless steel, and did not cause me problems. I lost my last retainer after about 2 years and did not get another one. I highly recommend wearing them long enough(a few years?) to keep the gap small. Why do you say nickle and tin?

 

[Dr. B]

Hey where is @Mr.Bollox? Haven’t seen him around in a while.

I am here I hadnt logged in for a while
I wasnt able to log in as much during work hours

 

[Dr. B]

In vitro surface corrosion of stainless steel and NiTi orthodontic appliances - PubMed

Simulated fixed orthodontic appliances were constructed, immersed and incubated in artificial saliva for periods up to three months. Two types of stainless steel archwires and two types of NiTi wires were used. The surface corrosion of the archwires was determined macroscopically, with scanning...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Simulated fixed orthodontic appliances were constructed, immersed and incubated in artificial saliva for periods up to three months. Two types of stainless steel archwires and two types of NiTi wires were used. The surface corrosion of the archwires was determined macroscopically, with scanning electron microscopy, and with spectrophotometry. The deposits on the wires were identified with X-ray diffraction. Uniform corrosion was observed on stainless steel wires, and a slight colour change was detected on the NiTi wires beneath stainless steel ligatures. The corrosion product on the stainless steel wires increased with immersion time, and the surface oxide films were easily detached from the underlying matrix. Crevice corrosion was observed under deposits of oxide, and at the interface between bracket and band. Such corrosion may weaken a wire or weld leading to fracture. In contrast, the NiTi archwires did not corrode, and there was no significant difference in surface morphology. The stainless steel archwires showed a significant loss of reflectance after heat treatment and immersion in artificial saliva. The NiTi archwires had the same reflectance before and after the immersion test. NiTi archwires are significantly more stable and resistant to corrosion than stainless steel archwires.

Analyses of rampant corrosion in stainless-steel retainers of orthodontic patients - PubMed

Retainers were collected from private, university, and dental labs. After viewing these corroded and control appliances using scanning electron microscopy, corroded maxillary and mandibular retainers were selected along with a control stainless-steel retainer for in-depth chemical analysis...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"Retainers were collected from private, university, and dental labs. After viewing these corroded and control appliances using scanning electron microscopy, corroded maxillary and mandibular retainers were selected along with a control stainless-steel retainer for in-depth chemical analysis. Using electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, monochromated Al x-rays were rastered over areas 1.5 x 0.3 mm. After survey spectra were acquired, high-resolution multiplex scans were obtained and binding energy shifts were noted. Using Auger electron spectroscopy, a spot size of approximately 30 nm was analyzed. Photos, survey scans, and depth profiles were acquired using a 3.5kV Ar(+) ion beam that was calibrated using a SiO2 standard. Via electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, the brown stains contained Fe and Cr decomposition products in which three carbon species were present. Proteinaceous N was found as amines or amides. No Ni was present because it had solubilized. The Cr:Fe ratio indicated severe Cr depletion in the stained regions (0.2) versus the control regions (1.3). The stained regions appeared mottled, having both dark and light areas. Via AES, the dark versus light areas of the stained regions indicated that there was an absence versus a presence of both Cr and Ni. In the dark areas corrosion penetrated 700 nm; in the light areas the depth equaled 30 nm. By comparison, the passivated layer of the control retainer was 10-nm thick. After sputtering away the affected areas, all specimens had similar spectra as the control regions. The bacterial environment created the mottled appearance and induced electrochemical potential differences so that, upon reducing the passivated layer, an otherwise corrosion-resistant alloy became susceptible to rampant corrosion. An integrated biological-biomaterial model is presented for the classic case of an orthodontic acrylic-based stainless steel retainer subject to crevice corrosion."

These supposedly "corrosion resistant" materials are not actually that resistant. The first study was done in artificial saliva, but the environment of a mouth is much different. I imagine there are galvanic reactions at play, not just acid corrosion. I had one of the titanium ones and it became worn and uncomfortable after six years. I had it removed, when they took it off it snapped in half it was so brittle. I think they are a chronic source of heavy metal toxicity.

I dont know if i posted before but Ray said stainless steel has other metals and toxic things in it making it “stainless”... he said the stainless materials wear away over time so the stainless steel dental wires actually become safer over time.

 

[Lollipop2]

I am here I hadnt logged in for a while
I wasnt able to log in as much during work hours

Hey glad you are around