Aim: In the constantly evolving field of orthodontics, it is necessary to develop cost-effective materials to cater to weaker socioeconomic sections of society. This study used the low-cost superelastic NiTi archwires, which were customized as an alternative to Copper NiTi archwires, and compared them regarding alignment efficiency and pain perception after initial alignment. Methods: Thirty-six patients were randomly assigned to two groups in terms of initial archwires: group 1: 0. 014-inch preformed Copper NiTi archwire and group 2: 0. 014-inch customized superelastic NiTi archwire. Changes in the alignment of the six anterior teeth were measured for 4 months at T0, T1, T2, T3, and T4 using the modified Little’s irregularity index. Patients were asked to complete the Pain Questionnaire with the VAS scale. Friedman’s test and Wilcoxon’s signed-rank test were used to compare the two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for intergroup comparison of the modified Little’s irregularity index. P<0. 05 was considered as significant. Results: Groups 1 and 2 exhibited no significant differences (P>0. 05) when alignment efficiency was compared at different time intervals. Patients reported less pain perception and were more comfortable with customized superelastic NiTi archwires compared to Copper NiTi archwires (P<0. 01). Conclusion: Customized superelastic NiTi archwires demonstrated alignment efficiency similar to Copper NiTi archwires but significantly reduced pain perception. Therefore, they could be a viable alternative for minimizing pain in the initial alignment phase of fixed orthodontic treatment.

Introduction: Irregularities and defects on NiTi endodontic instruments originating from the manufacturing process can lead to the structural collapse and fracture of these instruments during treatment. To assess the cause of instrument wear and fracture, as well as increasing fracture incidence, destructive and non-destructive methods have been used for the analysis of surfaces and internal structures of new and used NiTi instruments. The aim of this systematic review was to undertake a detailed analysis of the methods used to evaluate the surface and internal microstructure of endodontic instruments. Methods and Materials: The scientific literature was comprehensively and systematically searched in the MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and LILACS/BBO databases for studies published up to June 9, 2019. The eligibility criteria was based on the PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome) strategy with the question “ What is the best method for structural analysis of endodontic files? ” Two aspects were considered for inclusion in this study: (i) endodontic instruments and (ii) methods for structural analysis of NiTi instruments. Results: Based on the inclusion criteria, 94 articles were selected. The results showed that although specific methods have been used for qualitative and/or quantitative structural analysis of NiTi instruments, no study addressed both the surface and internal structure of the instruments at the same time. According to this review, the need to compare the methodologies used in the selected articles has been identified; however, each type of method used has its own limitation on the analysis of both the surface and the internal structure of the instruments. Conclusions: The comparison between the different types of methodologies used in the studies revealed the reliability and the limitations of the methods employed for structural analysis of endodontic instruments; thus assisting us in determining their validity.

During recent years, many investigations have been carried out to determine how to select different materials for the making of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and bio-MEMS. The NiTi shape memory alloy thin film has been much regarded as a promising candidate for MEMS due to its unique shape memory effect and high energy output. In this research, NiTi thin film was fabricated using a sputtering technique from separate elemental Ni and Ti targets. The characterizations of the deposited films were investigated using different analysis techniques, such as Field Emission SEM, DSC, XRD, electrical resistivity measurement and nanoindentation.