Optimal welding of beta titanium orthodontic wires.

Today the orthodontist is confronted by an array of new orthodontic wire materials that, when applied to appliance design, can vastly increase the flexibility and versatility of therapy. Welded joints, especially for the newer titanium alloy wires, provide a means to extend the useful applications of these materials. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimum settings for electrical resistance welding of various configurations of titanium-molybdenum (TMA) wires. Specimens were of a t-joint configuration and were mechanically tested in torsion to simulate the failure mode most often observed in clinical practice. Variables included wire size, wire orientation, and welding voltage. Results indicated that excellent welds can be obtained with very little loss of strength and ductility in the area of the weld joint. Torsional loads at failure were at least 90% of the unwelded base material. Although a wide range of voltage settings resulted in high-strength welds, typically a narrow range of voltages yielded optimal ductility.