Self-lubricating coatings containing fullerene-like WS2 nanoparticles for orthodontic wires and other possible medical applications

Uneven malaligned teeth are a problem afflicting large numbers of people, having significant economic and societal repercussions. Sliding a tooth along an archwire during orthodontic treatment involves a frictional type of force which resists this movement, causing a number of adverse effects. First, using excessive orthodontic force, leads to unwanted movements of the anchor teeth and increasing the risk of damage to the roots of the teeth. Furthermore, the frictional force is distributed unevenly between the archwire and the brackets interface, leading to strong adhesion between the wire and the bracket's corner. This force-asymmetry causes lengthening of treatment and frequent visits for fine-tuning of the orthodontic appliances. Despite numerous efforts to lower the friction, no satisfactory solution to this issue has been obtained. In the present work a self-lubricating metal coating containing fullerene-like WS2 (IF) nanoparticles is demonstrated. Such coatings significantly reduce archwire friction, and may alleviate the adverse complications. Moreover, a number of other medical applications of the self-lubricating coatings are foreseen.