BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze six commercial brands of latex elastics regarding force degradation based on the time factor, in time intervals of 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours. METHODS: The elastics were stretched by three times their diameter, measured, immersed in artificial saliva at 37° C, and stored in a glass container. Data obtained were described by mean parameters, standard deviation, degradation rate, and coefficient of variation and Tukey's post-hoc Test (P<0.05). RESULTS: American Orthodontics™ was the brand closest to prescription (94.70%), and Uniden™ was the one with the lowest performance (73.60%). By analyzing the total force degradation rate at the end of the experiment, it is noted that elastics from the Orthometric™ brand presented the highest rate (20.24%). CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the latex elastics studied suffer great intensity variation of initial force, and the higher variation rate occurs in the first 12 hours.
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze six commercial brands of latex elastics regarding force degradation based on the time factor, in time intervals of 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours. METHODS: The elastics were stretched by three times their diameter, measured, immersed in artificial saliva at 37° C, and stored in a glass container. Data obtained were described by mean parameters, standard deviation, degradation rate, and coefficient of variation and Tukey's post-hoc Test (P<0.05). RESULTS: American Orthodontics™ was the brand closest to prescription (94.70%), and Uniden™ was the one with the lowest performance (73.60%). By analyzing the total force degradation rate at the end of the experiment, it is noted that elastics from the Orthometric™ brand presented the highest rate (20.24%). CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the latex elastics studied suffer great intensity variation of initial force, and the higher variation rate occurs in the first 12 hours.