In vitro properties’ changes of latex and non-latex orthodontic elastics

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of non-latex elastics regarding their use in clinical practice for latex-intolerant individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 80 latex and 80 non-latex elastics produced by Leone S.p.A. were divided into 4 groups of 20 elastics each. They were submitted to traction tests after being placed in Ringer's solution for different periods of time. Force loss and permanent deformation (considered as the difference between the initial and final diameter) was then determined in order to evaluate the behaviour of each elastic after every test. The variation of force was calculated using the Instron Machine, while the profile projector was used to measure the elastics' diameter. RESULTS: The latex elastics undergo less loss of force than the non latex elastics. The difference between the two tested samples becomes significant after 24 hours. Regarding the variation of the inner diameter, in every test, non-latex elastics showed a more significant deformation than latex ones and the difference was significant. CONCLUSION: When compared to latex elastics, non-latex elastics showed a greater deformation of the inner diameter and the forces generated in Ringer's solution are significantly less after 24 hours. To conclude, latex-free elastics are suitable for orthodontic treatment in patients with allergies, although further study to investigate the dynamic behaviour of latex- free elastics.