PAULA, Ana Flávia Borges de    PAULA, Ana Paula Borges de. Surface friction of self-ligated brackets. Rev. Bras. Odontol. []. 2012, 69, 1, pp. 102-106. ISSN 1984-3747.

The present paper compares the friction surface of self-ligated brackets and conventional brackets, their advantages and disadvantages, based in studies wich evaluates such factors as the materials of wires and brackets, the surface condition of the wires and the brackets fit, the cable section, the torque on the bracket-wire interface, the angle of the brackets and strength of their ligations, the saline and oral functions. These factors influence the friction of both self-ligated brackets and conventional brackets, but all self-bonded brackets showed lower friction values compared to those of conventional brackets in both (static and kinetic) frictions.

: brackets; self-ligated; friction.