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Rare Earth Magnets in Orthodontics: An Overview

Mount Vernon Hospital Trust and Eastman Dental Institute

Robert D. Evans, B.SC., B.D.S., M.SC.D., F.D.S.R.C.S., D.ORTH., M.ORTH. R.C.S.(ED)

Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust and Eastman Dental Institute

Correspondence: Mr J. H. Noar, Department of Orthodontics, Eastman Dental Institute, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, U.K.

Magnets have been used in dentistry for many years. They can be made to push or pull teeth. The force they deliver can be directed, and they can exert their force through mucosa and bone, as well as within the mouth. In orthodontics they are used for intrusion of teeth, tooth movement along archwires, expansion, retention, in functional applicances, and in the treatment of impacted teeth. New `high energy' magnets are capable of producing very high forces relative to their size. Although magnets are potentially very useful there are a number of problems that severely affect their performance; the force produced between any two magnets falls dramatically with distance, significant irreversible loss in force is seen if the magents are heated and a dramatic reduction in force is seen if the magnets are not ideally aligned to one another. In addition, magnets corrode badly in the mouth and a robust coating is required to protect them. This paper outlines the background to high energy magnets used in orthodontics, discusses the relevant physical and biological properties of them, and reviews their applications.

Key words: Biocompatability, Orthodontic Applications, Physical Properties, Rare Earth Magnets

Refereed Paper

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