The objective of this study was to determine the average occlusogingival and mesiodistal curvature of the bases of straight-wire brackets. Brackets from four different manufactures were utilized: Morelli, Abzil Lancer, Unitek and A-Company. The measurements of the curvature of the bases of the brackets were, initially, taken with a universal instrument of the Société Genevoise D'Instruments de Physique, known as CSIP, model MUL-300. The data obtained was transferred to an AUTOCAD 2000 software, which generated a three dimensional image, where the curvature and the radius of the bases were finally measured. The results demonstrated a great variability of these measurements among the four different brands for the same bracket.
Orthodontic brackets; Straight-wire; Base of the bracket
