Investigation of photon interaction parameters of alloys used in orthodontic treatments for dental radiology applications

In the present study, it was aimed to examine the photon interaction parameters of some alloys used in orthodontic treatments in dental and medical radiology energies. First of all, a transmission geometry consisting of 241Am (100 mCi) radioactive source and Ultra Ge detector was established to experimentally obtain the mass attenuation coefficients (mu rho, cm2/g) of Beta Titanium (BT), Copper NiTi, NiTi (Nitinol) and stainless steel (SS) alloys, which are frequently used as orthodontic wires. The experimental mu rho values in the energy range of 13.9-59.54 keV with the data obtained from the spectra were compared with the theoretical results generated with the EpiXS program. The mu rho values at 59.54 keV were 0.760, 0.933, 0.924 and 1.315 cm2/g for BT, NiTi, Copper NiTi and SS, respectively. Based on mu rho values, HVL and Zeff values were also obtained. The HVL values for BT, NiTi, Copper NiTi and SS at 59.54 keV were calculated as 0.203, 0.135, 0.138, 0.066 cm, respectively. Then, the buildup factor values of the alloys in the energy range of 0.015-15 MeV were calculated at penetration depths of 1-15 mfp. When all the results are evaluated together, SS is more effective in absorbing photons, while BT is the alloy with the highest photon buildup among the alloys studied. Besides, it is noteworthy that the alloys cause secondary scatterings. The data obtained from this study will provide information about the photon interaction parameters of orthodontic wires in dental and medical radiology applications.