Title
Mechanical properties of thermoformed and 3D-printed aligners after cleansing solution exposure: An in vitro study
Authors
Diksha Vinod Wali1, Shashank Sharad Gaikwad1,*, Vilasrao Kadam2, Parag Vishnu Gangurde1, Nityanand Shankar Shetty1, Chinmay Mahale1 & Prakash Sarkar3
Affiliation
1Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be) University Dental College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India; 2Bharati Vidyapeeth's College of Pharmacy, Mumbai University, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India; 3Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Institute National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India; *Corresponding author
Diksha Vinod Wali - E-mail: diksha.wali.18@gmail.com
Shashank Sharad Gaikwad - E-mail: shashank.gaikwad@bharatividyapeeth.edu
Vilasrao Kadam - E-mail: drvjk21@gmail.com
Parag Vishnu Gangurde - E-mail: parag.gangurde@bharatividyapeeth.edu
Nityanand Shankar Shetty - E-mail: nityanand.shetty@bharatividyapeeth.edu
Chinmay Mahale - E-mail: chinmay.mahale@gmail.com
Prakash Sarkar - E-mail: prakash.met@nitjsr.ac.in
Article Type
Research Article
Date
Received October 1, 2025; Revised November 15, 2025; Accepted November 15, 2025, Published November 15, 2025
Abstract
The impact of common cleaning solutions on the mechanical properties of clear orthodontic aligners made from PET-G, polyurethane and resin-based materials is of interest. Nanoindentation tests measured elastic modulus, hardness, elastic index and load relaxation after exposure to Retainer Brite®, Fresh Guard® and artificial saliva. The results showed that peroxide-based cleaners significantly degrade aligner properties, while Fresh Guard® causes moderate changes and artificial saliva has minimal effects. Resin-based aligners showed superior chemical stability, making them more resistant to cleaning agents. Thus, mild cleaners are recommended for maintaining aligner performance.
Keywords
Elastic modulus, fresh guard®, load relaxation, orthodontic aligners, retainer brite®
Citation
Wali et al. Bioinformation 21(11): 4212-4221 (2025)
Edited by
Ritik Kashwani
ISSN
0973-2063
Publisher
License
This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
