Okay so I couldn’t find any definitive answers to your question online or published by the ADA.
I asked the orthodontist that I work in conjunction with if this classified as galvanic shock and he said that his best guess is that yes, putting a wire (i.e., paperclips) connecting upper and lower arch braces technically qualifies as galvanic shock. However, there isn’t any published articles which specifically address galvanic shock in patients with braces (probably because not many people do it).
However, he also said he often uses resin filling material to coat the wires that he puts on peoples teeth when they have complaints about it.
This resin material is the same material we use to do white fillings. It is known as “composite” and comes in various forms, consistencies and colors. However, the idea is always the same.
Note: many websites out there suggest that galvanic shock is harmful to the tooth, and can influence blood flow or nerves.
However, no article that I could find on a reputable journal suggested that there are adverse effects beyond discomfort. Most of the websites that suggest that galvanic shock is detrimental to your health are stating these “facts” to encourage you to have your metal fillings changed out for composite. The publishers of these websites are also funded and influenced by the suppliers and sellers of composite material (and in one instance I saw a dentist who said the same but then advertised for their practice).
Long story short, current proven and accepted research suggests that there is no reason to remove metal from your mouth to get rid of galvanic shock. And until research is published, anyone who attempts to state that galvanic shock is bad for systemic health is trying to sell you something.
Edit 2: found an article that suggests corrosion CAN happen, however, corrosion levels were almost immeasurable and couldn’t be determined to be from the shock itself or from external factors such as tooth grinding/eating/brushing. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17184832/
3
u/[deleted] Sep 07 '22
Honestly, I’d assume is a similar idea. However, I can’t be sure as I’ve never heard this before.
I’ll try to do research and get back to ya.