1 - The word friction in orthodontics usually refers to
resistance as a tooth slides along and archwire. This kind of friction is
usually not a problem. Friction becomes a problem when an archwire engages a
bracket at more than a 45° angle.
2 - The upper right cuspid has been "looped" to
the very small 12 nitinol upper archwire. To "loop" the cuspid we
slid and elastic tie over the end of the archwire and brought it forward to
where it could engage the bracket on the incisal side of the bracket.
We did not engage the cuspid through the bracket slot
because the angle of the archwire would have been more than 45° which would
have caused binding that would have slowed the process of bringing the cuspid
down into occlusion.
3 - The 12 nitinol archwire is now engaged ("looped") above the bracket
to bring the cuspid on down into occlusion. We have a memory chain under the
archwire from the cuspid to the molar to bring the cuspid just a little more
distally to help it come on down into occlusion.
4 - Now we have the cuspid in position to come on down into alignment with the rest of the arch on a 14 Nitinol archwire. From here the treatment is routine.
Before and After Treatment
Treatment Time - 29 Months (Including Split-Plate (RPE)
