Effect of in vitro aging by water immersion and thermocycling on the mechanical properties of PETG aligner material

Purpose The mechanical properties of orthodontic aligners made from thermoplastic polymers decrease over time in the intraoral milieu. However, there is a lack of information on this topic in the literature. Thus, the elastic properties of polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) aligner films were investigated in vitro under extreme temperature changes simulated by thermocycling, environmental temperature and water absorption. Materials and methods A total of 60 specimens made from PETG aligner films (CA Clear Aligner, Scheu Dental, Iserlohn, Germany) were divided into three groups (immersed in distilled water, subjected to accelerated ageing by thermocycling, control). These groups were again divided and tensile testing was performed for all groups at 22 and at 37 degrees C. Young's modulus (E), 0.2% offset yield strength (R-p02) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) were evaluated. Water absorption was determined using an analytical scale. Results All treated specimens showed water absorption, whereby specimens that were thermocycled absorbed 48% more water than the immersed ones. Young's modulus and UTS were significantly lower for all three groups at 37 degrees C compared to the corresponding groups tested at 22 degrees C. Thermocycled and immersed groups showed a significantly lower Young's modulus compared to the control group tested at the same temperature. The mean R-p02 was statistically different when comparing the control group tested at 22 degrees C to the one tested at 37 degrees C. Conclusions The results of this study add to the understanding of the clinically well-known degradation of orthodontic aligners during wear time. Extreme alternating temperatures along with warming up to intraoral temperature and water absorption can reduce the material's Young's modulus and may therefore promote a decrease of resulting orthodontic forces.