Mapping chemical elements on the surface of orthodontic appliance by SEM-EDX

Scanning electron microscopy with an energy-dispersive X-ray analytical system (SEM-EDX) was used to ana-lyze the composition of stainless steel elements of orthodontic fixed appliances (before and after orthodontic treatment), to obtain the composition of the surface of the elements. The analyzed elements were: brackets (Victory Series APC PLUS 022, 3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA, USA); wires (0.017×0.025, 3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA, USA); and bands (37+, 3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA, USA).