Esthetic orthondontic wire

Abstract

An esthetic orthodontic wire comprising a composite material which includes a biocompatible inorganic fiber and a thermoplastic resin. The inorganic fiber is glass fiber formed linearly continuous and having a generally circular or oval cross-sectional shape. The inorganic fiber has a diameter ranging from 1 to 100 .mu.m. The biocompatible inorganic fiber is produced from a mixture of calcium oxide, diphosphorus pentoxide, silicon dioxide and aluminium oxide. The inorganic fiber is biocompatible, in which a molar ratio of calcium/phosphorus is within a range of from 0.5 to 3.0, wherein total of calcium oxide and diphosphorus pentoxide is within a range of from 20 to 65% by weight relative to the glass fiber, and total of silicon dioxide and aluminium oxide is within a range of from 35 to 80% by weight relative to the glass fiber. The content of the glass fiber is within a range of from 5 to 70% by volume of the orthodontic wire. The thermoplastic resin is one selected from the group consisting methylmethacrylate resin and a copolymer of methylmethacrylate and one of methacrylate and acrylate. Additionally, the orthodontic wire is generally white and translucent. The orthodontic wire has a light transmittance of not lower than 5% within a visible light region. The orthodontic wire has a residual deflection of not larger than 1 mm in a load-deflection behavior obtained under a test in which a distance between support points is 14 mm, and a flexural load is within a range of from 0.5 to 6.0 N.