Quantitative Evaluation by Orthodontic Moment Measurement Device: Comparative study of the two types of wire during orthodontic treatment

The purpose of this study is to quantitatively evaluate the forces and moments measured during orthodontic treatment. There are few quantitative measurements of forces and moments applied to teeth during treatment. Therefore, dentists have to rely on their own skills, experience, and intuition to perform treatment, which may not be effective enough for some patients. To solve this problem, devices have been developed to measure the forces and moments generated in the teeth. However, there are some disadvantages, such as the limitation of the direction in which the forces and moments can be measured and the fact that they do not take into account the movement of the teeth during treatment. Therefore, we have developed a device that can measure forces and moments in all axes, reproducing the movement of the teeth during treatment. This device consists of two teeth model, a force sensor, and a stepping motor. Considering that the teeth move during treatment, we incorporated a motor to control the angle of the teeth. Then, a force sensor is used to measure the forces and moments in the three axes applied to the teeth. Using this device, we reproduced the treatment of the abnormally tilted tooth until it returned a normal position, and carried out a quantitative evaluation. A comparative study was conducted between the case of treatment with stainless steel wires and the case of treatment with nickel titanium wires. As a result, we found that nickel titanium wire has many advantages compare the conventional stainless steel wires. This is in agreement with the dentist's rule of thumb, and the experimental results suggest that this device was able to make a quantitative evaluation.