OBJECTIVE The purpose of this laboratory study was to evaluate changes in the pigmentation of esthetic elastomeric ligatures after immersion in a staining solution. METHODS Sixty ligatures were selected and divided into 12 groups according to their brand and also considering their condition, i.e., unstretched or stretched. The groups were divided into: Morelli (clear), TP Orthodontics (clear)...

Objective: To evaluate in vivo changes in the color of esthetic elastomeric ligatures from different manufacturers. Methods: Four widely used commercial brands of elastomeric ligatures were selected and used in 20 adult patients in a split-mouth design. The ligatures were evaluated by orthodontists and patients in a double-blind manner on the day the ligatures were placed (T0) and 30 days af...

INTRODUCTION The degradation of elastic ligatures in the oral environment results in the need of periodic replacement to maintain the optimal force during the orthodontic treatment. The purpose of this study was to perform a clinical prospective randomized study of the degradation of orthodontic elastomeric ligatures in the oral environment by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and tensile stre...

Thin metal films deposited on elastomeric substrates can remain electrically conducting at tensile strains up to ~100%. We recently used finite-element simulation to explore the rupture process of a metal film on an elastomer. The simulation predicted the highest stretchability on stiff elastomeric substrates [1]. We now report experiments designed to verify this prediction. A ~15-μm thick sili...

INTRODUCTION Fenoldopam has been used to protect renal function in critically ill patients and in those undergoing major surgery, where a possible damage of kidney is expected. Numerous randomized studies and meta-analysis demonstrated the efficacy of fenoldopam in this setting. We performed this study to demonstrate the feasibility of administering fenoldopam, trough an elastomeric pump connec...

A cohesive zone modeling (CZM) approach with a bilinear traction-separation relation is used to study the peeling of a thin overhanging plate from the edge of an incompressible elastomeric layer bonded firmly to a stationary rigid base. The deformations are approximated as plane strain and the materials are assumed to be linearly elastic, homogeneous, and isotropic. Furthermore, governing equat...

Unique combinations of hard and soft components found in biological tissues have inspired researchers to design and develop synthetic nanocomposite gels and hydrogels with elastomeric properties. These elastic materials can potentially be used as synthetic mimics for diverse tissue engineering applications. Here we present a set of elastomeric nanocomposite hydrogels made from poly(ethylene gly...

The purpose of this study was to validate the elastomeric impression after temporary tooth separation as a method of cavitation detection in proximal caries lesions in primary molars with outer half dentin radiolucency. Fifty-one children (4-10 years old), presenting radiolucency in the outer half of the dentin at the proximal surfaces of primary molars and proximal anatomic contact with the ad...