How does orthodontics relate to chemistry?
While it might seem that orthodontics and chemistry are hardly the same, there are a few things that relate them.
- Organic Chemistry: How do the brackets stay on the teeth? Through glue that bonds them to the surface of the tooth, also called dental cement. To properly bond the bracket to the tooth, the orthodontist must "etch" the tooth. Etching helps remove the smear layer from the tooth and opens up the dentin tubules on the tooth which helps the glue bond better. It uses phosphoric acid, which can be dangerous and burn soft tissue, so an orthodontist must be very careful with how much acid they use (usually about 37%.)
- Light (Waves): Also, to bond the bracket to the tooth after it has been glued down, a curing light is used. There are two main types of curing lights. The halogen curing light emits infrared and electromagnetic radiation in the form of visible light. The LED curing light produces blue light to cure the dental material. This relates to chemistry because the two different types of curing lights produce lights with different wavelengths and therefore, different colors.
- Radiation: As with any job in the medical field, x-rays are a large part of orthodontics. x-rays, which are a form of electromagnetic radiation produce radiographs which are images of the bones in the body. However, too much exposure to x-rays can increase a person's risk of developing cancer.