Mesio-distal Tooth Movment

FINGER SPRING
It is a palatally situated active component of removable orthodontic appliance. It is used
for mesio-distal movement of teeth which are located within the dental arch.

Uses:
It is used for mesio-distal movement of any tooth (incisors, canines, premolars and even
molars). However, it is mostly used for distal movement of canines.

Types:
1- Simple finger spring (self-supported finger spring) made of 0.6 mm stainless steel wire.
2- Guarded finger spring (supported finger spring) made of 0.5 mm stainless steel wire.

Components:

1- Coil: the internal diameter is 3 mm and it should be directed opposite to the direction of
tooth movement so that the coil is opened during activation. The coil is located by drawing a
perpendicular line on the line of occlusion from the midpoint of the mesio-distal width of the
tooth to be moved and about 2mm away from the palatal midline. The coil is wound in a way
that the active arm becomes upwards (i.e. away from the palate) and the retentive tag
becomes downwards (i.e. closer to the palate).

2- Active arm: It begins from the coil and continues to the labial or buccal aspect of the tooth.
It should end with a non-traumatic coil and can have a C-shape well adapted to the labial
surface of the tooth for better engagement of the tooth and to keep the tooth movement
within the line of the arch. The coil and the active arm are either open or protected by the
acrylic base plate. For canines the active arm has a crank located ⅔ away from the coil, while
other teeth have a small curve near the coil.
 The coil and the active arm are boxed in wax so that the spring lies in a recess between
the mucosa and the base plate.

3- Retentive tag:

a- In the simple finger spring: the tag forms a zigzag shape, 5-6 mm long, parallel and 2mm
away from the palatal midline and elevated about 1 mm form the palate for embedding
in the acrylic.

b- in the guarded finger spring: the tag (guard) begins, about 2mm away from the coil with
a small U-loop (2 mm wide and 2 mm long) and then extends below the active arm
parallel to the line of the arch 2 mm away from the teeth, and ends with a small L-shape
at the middle of the tooth adjacent to the extraction site. The guard prevents palatal
displacement of the active arm and trauma to the mucosa. The U-loop and the L-shape
are elevated about 1 mm from the palate to be embedded in the acrylic.

Activation

the simple type is activated by opening

the coil using an Angle pliers so that the tip of
the active arm is deflected 2 mm or one third the
mesio-distal dimension of the tooth to apply little
force for tooth movement (25-30g) for a 2-3
weeks duration. In the guarded type, activation is done so that the tip of the active arm is
deflected half the mesio-distal dimension of the tooth to apply little force for longer duration
(3-4 weeks).
Design:
1- 2 finger springs on 3 3
2- 2 Adams clasps on 6 6
3- Fitted labial arch on 1 1
4- Acrylic base plate

Differences between Simple and Guarded finger spring:

Simple Guarded

Component has a tag has a guard

Construction 0.6 mm 0.5 mm

Activation ⅓ of the mesio-distal tooth ⅟2 of the mesio-distal tooth
width width

Appointments every 2-3 weeks every 3-4 weeks

Advantages of the guarded finger spring:

The active arm of the guarded finger spring is more:

1- Flexible in horizontal direction because it is made of 0.5mm hard stainless steel wire so
the force of activation is retained for a longer duration.

2- Stable in vertical direction because it is located between the acrylic and the guard thus
preventing trauma to the palatal mucosa and guide the movement of the active arm.