A Comparative Evaluation of Effects of Various Remineralizing Agents on the Mechanical Properties of NiTi and CuNiTi Archwires: An In-Vitro Study

Aims and Objectives This in-vitro study aims to evaluate and compare the effects of remineralizing mouthwashes based on inorganic fluoride, organic fluoride, or zinc hydroxyapatite on the mechanical properties (yield strength (YS) and modulus of elasticity (ME)) of NiTi and CuNiTi archwires under loading and unloading. Materials and Methods A total of 200 samples of 0.016 × 0.022 NiTi and CuNiTi archwires were divided into four groups ( n = 50 per group) and immersed in 5 mL of different remineralization agents. The samples were incubated at 37°C for 1.5 h, then rinsed and tested using a universal testing machine. A three-point bending test was conducted to determine the YS and ME of the wires. Results Tukey’s post hoc test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze differences between groups. The results showed that for NiTi wires, only the inorganic fluoridated mouthwash (Phos-Flur) significantly affected mechanical properties during loading. During unloading, both inorganic (Phos-Flur) and organic fluoridated (Amflor) mouthwashes had a significant effect. For CuNiTi wires, only the inorganic fluoridated mouthwash (Phos-Flur) showed a significant effect during unloading. The non-fluoridated zinc hydroxyapatite mouthwash did not affect either NiTi or CuNiTi wires during loading or unloading. Conclusion Non-fluoridated remineralizing zinc hydroxyapatite mouthwash did not affect the loading and unloading mechanical properties of both NiTi and CuNiTi wires when compared with fluoridated mouthwashes. Zinc hydroxyapatite-based mouthwashes may serve as a safer alternative without compromising remineralization effectiveness.