Material science is used in orthodontics in the are of study models. Models allow us to create a duplicate of the patients mouth and hold it in our hands for evaluation. With hand held models, it is possible to see the dentition for every conceivable angle - many of which cannot be see directly in the patients mouth.

In order to produce dental models, an impression of the teeth must be made. Typically, alginate is used to make the mold. Alginate is formed from the cell walls of brown algae from the sea. It is an acid powder, which once mixed with water, forms a rubbery solid. The chemical reaction is as follows:

From the alginate molds, dental plaster is used to make the stone models. By adjusting the amount of water and/or powdered stone, you change the strength of the model.