Customized Orthodontic Brackets through Additive Manufacturing

This book focuses on the development, surface finishing, and clinical performance of customized orthodontic brackets produced through additive manufacturing (AM). It discusses the challenges associated with achieving surfaces with sufficient smoothness, corrosion resistance, and long-term biocompatibility in patient-specific orthodontic devices. It also presents original case study data providing practical insights into surface topography, oxide film stability, and long-term biocompatibility. The book is primarily written for academic researchers, graduate students, and professionals in orthodontics, biomaterials, additive manufacturing, dental materials science, surface engineering, and medical device development. FeaturesDiscusses the aggressive oral environment and corrosion drivers including fluctuating pH, salivary ions, biofilms, and temperature effects on stainless steel brackets.Covers additive manufacturing technologies including selective laser melting (SLM), direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), and electron beam melting (EBM) for orthodontic applications.Explains surface finishing methods critical for clinical viability, including electropolishing, mechanical tumbling, thermal post-processing, and protective coatings.Presents experimental investigations using microscopy, XPS, and EDS to characterize surface roughness and composition of AM versus conventional brackets.Explores how post-processing techniques such as rotary tumbling and electropolishing affect bracket performance, friction, bacterial adhesion, and clinical reliability.Offers the first dedicated book addressing the specialized intersection of orthodontic bracket design, additive manufacturing, and surface engineering which is a unique contribution that fills a significant gap in current literature.

Elena Kostenko earned her first M.S. degree in Automated Systems Engineering in 2010, graduating with honors.She later pursued advanced training in medical device development, earning an M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from North Carolina State University, also with honors. Since 2020, she has worked at CDB Corporation as a manufacturing engineer and project manager, supporting medical device design, manufacturing optimization, and regulatory activities. She has led medical device development projects, encompassing management and functional activities for orthodontic treatment-planning software implementation and its FDA 510(k) submission. Her research spans additive manufacturing, biomaterials, and digital orthodontics. She has authored scholarly work on nanotechnology in orthodontics, shape-memory alloys, and nanomedicine-based drug delivery systems. Her current research focuses on surface finishing and corrosion control of additively manufactured orthodontic brackets, with the goal of improving biocompatibility, clinical performance, and patient safety.