Este artículo puede ser consultado en versión completa en ABSTRACT Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) archwires have been widely used for initial alignment in order to produce light continuous forces and help reduce the risk of damage to the periodontal ligament. The objective of this study was to obtain the number of cycles that NiTi archwires withstand in fl exural fatigue. Sixty circular 0.016" archwires from ORMCO (20) , GAC (20) and 3M (20) were tested at 37 o C. Roth brackets (0.022x0.025") were

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... d to acrylic teeth. A universal testing machine (Instron 5567) was used until fracture occurred. A report of cycles fatigue was made for each sample. The results were statistically tested using the one-way ANOVA Test and a Tukey Test (p < 0.001). The fractured surfaces were observed with a metallographic microscope (125X) to evaluate the fracture type. ORMCO archwires showed more elasticity than 3M and GAC archwires. Palabras clave: Arcos de NiTi, superelasticidad, fractura, fatiga.