Comparison of surface roughness of Hawley retainer and clear retainer and investigation of surface roughness changes of these retainers during 1 and 5 months of use in fixed orthodontic patients

Abstract

Introduction Surface roughness has a significant effect on the adhesion of bacteria. The purpose of this study was to compare the surface roughness of Hawley retainer and clear retainer and to investigate the changes in the surface roughness of these retainers during 1 and 5 months of use in fixed orthodontic patients. Materials and methods In this case-control study, 20 orthodontic patients who received Hawley or clear retainers at the end of fixed orthodontic treatment were included. The number of patients in each group was 10 and 4 series of appliances were made for each patient. The first retainer was evaluated before delivery to the patient. The second retainer was delivered to the patient and examined one month later. The third retainer was examined from one month after debonding to six months after debonding. The fourth retainer was delivered to the patient after six months. A part 5×5 mm part was cut from the posterior part of the two central appliances and was evaluated with Sharif solar profilometer to check the surface roughness. The data were analyzed by SPSS 24 statistical software and repeated measure independent t-tests. Results The amount of surface roughness in each of the Hawley and clear retainers did not change significantly over time (5 months). At the beginning of the study, the roughness of the Hawley retainer was significantly higher than the clear retainer, but at one and 5 months after use, the surface roughness did not have a significant difference in the two retainers. There was no significant difference in surface roughness changes during one month and during 5 months in two types of retainers. Conclusion The surface roughness of the Hawley retainer is higher at the beginning, but the changes over time are not significant.