SELF

LIGATING
BRACKETS

1
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION

HISTORICAL ASPECT AND EVOLUTION OF LIGATION

DEFINITIONS

IDEAL REQUIREMENT OF A LIGATING SYSTEM

IDEAL REQUIREMENT OF A SELF- LIGATING SYSTEM

PROBLEMS WITH CONVENTIONAL LIGATION

ADVANTAGES OF SELF-LIGATION

VARIOUS FORMS OF SELF LIGATING BRACKETS

STAGES OF TREATMENT
 INTRODUCTION

The vast majority of fixed orthodontic appliances have tooth-moving

forces in archwires which are deformed within their elastic limit.

 For this force to be transmitted to a tooth, wires need a form of

connection to the bracket which is in turn fixed to the tooth.

This connection has for many years been referred to as ‘ligation’.

Historical Perspective
 HISTORY
The earliest ligatures were made from:

1. Silk: This has been long used in surgery for suturing.

2. Stainless steel: when this became available it became

universally acceptable, with several inherent
favorable qualities and drawbacks.
Qualities:
Drawbacks:
It was cheap
Lengthy
Robust
Time required for placement
Free from deformation and degradation
and removal of ligature.
Able to attach arch wire to the bracket fully
and partially or at a distant.
3.)Elastomeric Ligatures: became available in the 1960’s and rapidly became the
most common means of ligation till date.

Qualities:- good speed of placement and removal and

-easy to use.

Drawbacks:-

-unable to achieve full wire engagement.

-degradation of mechanical property in

-oral environment.
 Shivapuja et al* found that an additional 11 minutes were required to remove
and replace two archwires if wire ligatures were used rather than elastomeric
ligatures.

 Additional potential hazards include those arising from puncture wounds from
the ligature ends and trauma to the patients mucosa if the ligature end becomes
displaced.

Shivapuja PK, Berger J. A comparative study of conventional ligation and self-ligation bracket systems. Am J
Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 1994 ;106(5):472-80.
04/11/2023
 Elastomeric ligatures became available in the late 1960s and rapidly became the
most common means of ligation, almost entirely because of the greatly reduced
time required to place and remove them compared with steel wire ligatures.

 Initially these elastic bands were made from natural rubber, later ligatures
followed the ability to produce synthetic elastics from polyester or polyether
urethanes.

 The ease of use and speed of placement elastomeric ligatures did, however lead to
other definite disadvantages being generally overlooked although readily apparent.

Eliades T, Pandis N. Self-ligation in Orthodontics.

Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009
04/11/2023
 Elastomerics frequently fail to fully engage an archwire when full engagement is
intended. Figure of eight ligation are of significant help in this respect but at the
cost of greatly increased friction.

 A second and well documented drawback with elastomerics is the substantial

degradation of their mechanical properties in the oral environment. The higher
temperature of the oral cavity, enzymatic activity, and lipid absorption by
polyurethanes are well cited as sources of force relaxation.

 It has also been found in the literature that there is much higher friction between
bracket and archwire with elastomeric ligation compared with wire ligatures.
Eliades T, Pandis N. Self-ligation in Orthodontics.
Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009
04/11/2023
Force decay and deformation of orthodontic elastomeric ligatures, Taloumis et al,
AJODO, 1994

 The purpose of this study was to evaluate force decay, permanent deformation, and
the relationship between the ligature dimension and the force of commercially available
gray molded elastomeric ligatures in a simulated oral environment.

 Three of four test groups of ligatures were stretched over stainless steel dowels with
a circumference approximating that of a large orthodontic twin bracket. The fourth
test group of unstretched samples was placed in a synthetic saliva bath at 37 ° C, pH
6.84 for 28 days to evaluate dimensional changes due solely to moisture sorption

Taloumis LJ, Smith TM, Hondrum SO, Lorton L. Force decay and deformation
04/11/2023 of orthodontic elastomeric ligatures. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop.
1997 ;111(1):1-1.
 They concluded that elastomeric ligatures are affected by moisture and heat,
exhibit rapid force loss (53% to 68% in 24 hours), and deform permanently
when stretched.

 The thicker the ligature and the smaller the inside diameter, the greater the
force the ligature will produce

04/11/2023
Evaluation of methods of archwire ligation on frictional resistance, Khambay et al,
EJO, 2004

 The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of elastomeric type and
stainless steel ligation on frictional resistance using a validated method.

 They found that seating forces with the ligature ties were much greater than
the elastomeric ligatures, also there was no consistent pattern in mean
frictional forces across the various combinations of wire types, size and ligation
type.

Khambay B, Millett D, McHugh S. Evaluation of methods of archwire ligation

04/11/2023 on frictional resistance.Eur J Orthod. 2004;26(3):327-32.
 Use of brass pins as a method of ligation was popularised by Raymond Begg in
his light-wire technique. These pins constituted the fourth(gingival)wall of the
bracket slot and formed a rigid metal wall analogous in some ways to that of a
molar tube or a self-ligation bracket.

 Begg pins had none of the disadvantages of elastomeric rings and were probably
more rapid to place and remove than wire ligatures.

04/11/2023
4. Pins e.g Begg’s brass pin:

 In 1950s, Raymond Begg, in his light wire technique

used ribbon arch brackets with round arch wires and
brass pin.

Used brass pins for ligation.

 These pins constituted the fourth (gingival) wall of the
bracket slot and formed a rigid metal wall analogous in some
ways to that of a molar tube or a self-ligating bracket.

 Brass pin had none of the disadvantages of elastomeric

ligature and were rapid to place and remove than wire
ligature.
5. Self-ligation with self ligating
brackets

Brackets of this type have existed

for a long time in orthodontics.

 The Russell Lock edgewise attachment was introduced by Stolzenberg in 1935.

This was by modern standards a very primitive mechanism consisting of a labial

screw to retain the archwire.
 DEFINITIONS

Self-ligation: this is an act of utilizing a permanently installed

moveable component within a bracket to entrap the arch wire to a
bracket.

Self-ligating brackets: by definition these are brackets that have an

in-built mechanism which can be opened or closed to secure the
archwire.
Properties of an ideal ligation system

Be secure, robust
ligation

Be comfortable for Ensure full bracket

The patient Engagement Of
the archwire

Properties of ideal
Archwire ligation should Exhibit low friction
Assist good OH b/w bracket and
archwire

Permit high friction Be quick &

when required easy to use
1. Secure Ligation

Should be no loss of ligation between appointments.

Wire ligatures are reliable while elastomeric ligatures are less, due to
force decay.

This is best with modern self ligating brackets.

2. Full Bracket Engagement

 Arch wire should be fully engaged in bracket

Wire ligatures allow this and can be maintained over the lifetime of an
appointment

Elastomerics can exert insufficient force to fully engage and also

degrade as the elastomer stretches over time

Full bracket engagement is the inherent feature of modern self ligating

bracket.
3. Low Friction
Frictional forces arising from ligation add additional resistance that
must be overcome by higher forces

This results in a net effective force that is difficult to assess and a

binding force that is higher between bracket and wire

Wire ligatures produce lower friction than elastomeric ligatures,

 self ligating brackets ensures stable low friction desirable for tooth
movement.

However, wire ligatures can also result in high and variable levels of
friction relative to the force levels optimal for tooth movement.
4. Quick and Easy to use
Significant disadvantage of wire ligation, better for elastomeric
and best for modern self ligating brackets.

5. Easy Attachment of Elastic Chain

Tie wings on conventional brackets make attachment of elastic
chain very convenient

Some SLBs have no tie wings e.g SPEED ,mobil lock ,activa.

Most modern self-ligating bracket are designed to in-coporate tie

wings e.g In-ovation brackets, damon 3 and MX.
6. Maintenance of Optimal Oral Hygiene

Elastomerics result in more plaque accumulation then wire ligatures

7. Patient Comfort

Elastomerics are easy for the patient to handle

Wire ligatures require careful tucking of the ends to avoid emergency

visits
 Philosophy of self-ligating bracket
proponents

Force
Ligature needed to
Ligated Biological
+ friction =
resistance move
brackets
teeth

Self-
Ligating Ligature Force
brackets
Biological
resistance - friction = needed to
move
teeth
IDEAL REQUIREMENT OF A SELF- LIGATING
SYSTEM
 Be very easy to open and close with low forces applied to the teeth
during these procedures and with all archwire sizes and materials.

 Never open inadvertently, allowing loss of tooth control.

 Have a ligating mechanism that never jams or breaks or distorts or

changes in its performance through the treatment period.
Have a positively held open clip/slide position, so that the clip or slide
does not obstruct the view of the bracket slot or the actual placement
of the archwire.

Be tolerant of a reasonable excess of composite material without

obstructing the clip/slide mechanism

Permit easy attachment and removal of all the usual auxiliary components
of an appliance, such as elastomeric chain, undertie ligatures, laceback
ligatures, without interfering with the self-ligating clip/slide.
 Have a suitably narrow mesio-distal dimension to take advantage of the
secure archwire engagement and permit large interbracket spans.

Permit easy placement and removal of hooks/posts and possibly other

auxiliaries on the brackets.

Have the performance expected of all orthodontic brackets in terms of

bond strength and smoothness of contour.
DRAWBACKS OF CONVENTIONAL LIGATION
1. Elastomeric ligatures -
 Fail to provide and maintain full archwire engagement.
 Treatment progress is inhibited by their High friction.
 The force decays over time.
 Potential impediment to oral hygiene.

2. Ligature wires
 Wire ligation is a very time consuming procedure.
 Do not provide sustained force required for adequate control.
SELF LIGATING BRACKETS
 Self ligating Brackets are a Ligatureless bracket system that
has a mechanical device built into the bracket to close off the
slot.

 The concept of Self ligating brackets has been in existence since

1935 .

 Russell lock edgewise attachment was the first self ligating

bracket and was described by Dr Jacob Stolzenberg in 1935.

 Newer designs of these brackets continue to appear even

today.
Self ligating brackets-
A combination of low friction and secure archwire
engagement.

1. Combination of low friction and secure archwire engagement is

useful for aligning very irregular teeth.

 With low friction the wire is able to slide through the

brackets of the rotated teeth resulting in rapid uncrowding.

 Full engagement results in full control while sliding the teeth

along the archwire.
2)Allows longer appointment interval which is advantageous to the operator
and patient

3)Allows for increase available anchorage, low friction encourages the use
of lighter force which has been suggested would enhance anchorage
preservation.

4)Allows for control of rotation during traction on an individual tooth,

hence conserving anchorage without a loss of tooth control or legnthening
treatment
COMPARISION OF SELF LIGATED AND
CONVENTIONAL LIGATED BRACKETS
SELF LIGATED CONVENTIONAL
LIGATED
Esthetics Significant miniaturization in Limited miniaturization
some designs
Force level Lighter forces Heavier force levels

Force delivery Light initial force High initial force

Friction Very low, predictable SS: high

Elastomeric: very high
Infection control Significantly reduced risk of Increased risk
percutaneous injury
Instrumentation Fewer instruments required Many required
during archwire changes
Ligation Movable, integral component SS or elastomeric ligatures
Creates outer 4th wall
 SELF LIGATED CONVENTIONAL
LIGATED

Ligation stability Retains original form Loses initial shape & tightness
throughout treatment

Office visits Less frequent, shorter visits More frequent, longer visits

Oral hygiene Wingless designs easy to clean Difficult to clean – food traps

Patient comfort Only slight discomfort with Teeth usually sore after
wire changes ligation

Sliding mechanics Ideally suited for efficient Slow due to binding of

tooth translation archwire

Treatment time Overall treatment time Longer, especially in extraction

reduced by about 4 months cases
 Self ligating
brackets
ACTIVE CLIPS PASSIVE SLIDES

Active and passive self-ligation refer to the action of the locking slide or clip
on the wire or the mode in which they interact with the archwire.
 FRICTION AND SELF LIGATION

Friction is defined as a force that retards or resists the relative motion of

two objects in contact

Static friction is the force needed to start movement.

Kinetic friction is the force needed to maintain movement once started

The most important biomechanical property of self-ligating brackets is the

low level of friction in sliding mechanics. Self-ligating brackets require less
force to produce tooth movement because they apply less frictional contact
to the arch wire than conventional twin brackets.

41
ORTHODONTICS: CURRENT PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES; GRABER VANARSDALL VIG
In orthodontic sliding mechanics, friction is determined by the type of
archwire, the type of bracket and the method of ligation.

In active Self-ligating system, friction is produced as a result of the clip

pressing against the archwire. These brackets have greater torque control
without unduly increasing the friction

 In the passive self-ligating system, there is no actual contact of the clip

with the archwire, The full bracket expression is achieved only when higher
dimensional wires are used.

42
ORTHODONTICS: CURRENT PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES; GRABER VANARSDALL VIG
(1) Russell Lock Edgewise
Attachment

 First Self Ligating Bracket described by

Dr. Jacob Stolzenberg in 1935.

 It is an edgewise appliance.

 Russell bracket had a flat head screw

seated snugly in a circular, threaded
opening in the face of the bracket
 It had an edgewise slot of 0.022 x 0.028 in.

 The flat threaded screw was used for fixation or removal of the
archwire by simply turning the key

 The flat lingual surface of this nut created a fourth wall to the arch
wire slot and its variable position controlled arch wire activity.

Disadvantages:
 include inadequate rotational control
 bulkiness
 inconvenience with opening and closing the slide
 So, they were never widely adopted.
(2) EDGELOK BRACKET
 First Passive Self Ligating Bracket
described by Dr. A. J. Wildman in 1971
 Had a round body with rigid labial sliding
cap.
 Special opening tool was used to move
the slide occlusally for archwire insertion.
 When the cap was closed over the
archwire with finger pressure, the
bracket slot was converted to a tube
with in which the arch wire had total
freedom of movement.
Disadvantages:

 include inadequate rotational control

 bulkiness

 inconvenience with opening and closing the slide

So, they were never widely adopted.

(3) Mobil Lock Bracket
 It is a Passive edgewise Self Ligating
Bracket described by Dr. Franz
Sander in the Year 1974.
 Mobil lock bracket had a rigid
Semi-circular labial disk
 A Special opening Tool was required
to open and close the semicircular
labial disk.
 The passive outer wall transformed
the bracket slot in to a tube that
loosely contained the arch wire.
Drawbacks:

 narrowness of labial face of slot

hence poor rotational control with
its use.

 difficulty to close and open premolar

brackets with straight screw
driver.
(4) SPEED BRACKET

 It was the first Active Self ligating

Bracket introduced by Dr. G. Herbert
Hanson in the 1980.

 It is a miniaturized self-ligating
bracket with an active super elastic
NiTi spring clip to entrap the
archwire.

 It is a fully adjusted edgewise system

available in 0.018 and 0.022 in. slot
size.
 Every bracket has 2 horizontal slots;
the archwire slot and auxillary slot.

 The auxillary slot is located occlussal

to the archwire slot and is 0.0165
square in. and remains in position
even when the spring clip is open

 The SPEED Mushroom Hook is a

miniaturised integral hook available in
all brackets, present on the distal,
to easily grasp and securely hold any
kind of elastomeric.
Opening of Closing
the of the
Bracket Bracket

- Drawbacks of early types:

 easy displacement and distortion of clip.

 had no tie wings.

(5) Activa bracket

 It is an active Self Ligating Bracket introduced

by Irwin Pletcher in 1986
 A curved arm that rotated occlusogingivally
around the cylindrical bracket body giving concave
inner radius to the labial surface of the slot.
 This increased the depth of the slot with small
diameter wires and diminished labiolingual
alignment.
 Sslide was retained on the mesial and distal ends
of the slot making a wider than average bracket,
which reduced the interbracket span.
Disadvantages of Activa Brackets

(1) Higher bond failure rate:

   Bases are slightly smaller than conventional brackets which

lead to less rigidity of the bracket base and easier distortion of the
base and consequent bond failure under external loading forces.

(2)Less convenient with power chain:

When closing the multiple spaces, elastic chain must

either be placed behind the arch wire or T-shaped locking pins
must be placed in several brackets.
(3) Difficulties during bracket placement

Tie-wings are useful holding points for tweezers and their absence
dictates minor changes in bracket placement technique especially with
canine brackets.

(4) Breakage of arch wire retaining clips

Clip breakages are mainly due to the excessive force while trying
to engage a stiffer arch wire . If a clip breaks, it is possible to
replace it with a new clip without removing and replacing the
bracket.
(6)Time bracket

 Passive Self Ligating Bracket described

by Wolfgang Heiser in the Year 1995.

 First one-piece self-ligating system

with CAD/CAM technology

 Time bracket had a rigid curved arm that

wraps occlusogingivally around the labial
aspect of bracket body.
Time2 brackets
superficially resembles a SPEED bracket,

But unlike the SPEED clip which has a vertical movement, the Time clip
rotates into position around the gingival tie wing and rotates towards the
occlusal rather than the gingival wall of the slot.

Drawback:

 clip displacement in early version, this

hindered its popularity even after
improvements were made.
(7) TwinLock bracket
 Is a Passive self ligating Bracket
described by Dr. Jim Wildman in the Year
1998
 Twin lock Bracket had flat, rectangular
slide, housed between the tie wings of an
edgewise twin bracket.
 Passive slide is moved occlusally into the
slot open position with a universal scaler
 Passive slide is moved gingivally with
finger pressure to entrap the archwire in a
passive configuration.
(8) IN – OVATION BRACKET

• First twin bracket with active clip.

• Micheal C Alpern in the Year 2002.

• These are very similar to the SPEED bracket in conception and design,
but are of a twin configuration Bracket manufactured with metal
injection moulding

• V – Tool (Tweezer ) is used for opening the clip

• Active clip which is made from cobalt chromium alloy is highly

resistant to fracture

Slot Blocker :

• Prevents archwire from escaping from the bracket

• Torque Expression
Horizontal slot:

• This slot runs through the occlusal wings

Super mesh base

• This houses a wide mesh over a tighter mesh

Disadvantages
• Gingival end of the spring clip is difficult
to open especially in the lower arch.
 (9) In-Ovation-R

 In-Ovation R with reduced bracket width design for anterior teeth

is an improvement on the previously existing In- Ovation series.

 In-Ovation-R remains passive self ligating bracket with small

leveling wires, while it actively seats finishing wires.
 In-Ovation-R's hook is smooth and rounded for enhanced
function, aesthetics, and patient comfort.
 Full rotational control with the clip's full span and slot blocker is
possible.
 Easy to Open and Easy to Close.
Drawback:

Clip when moved vertically behind the slot is

difficult to open and is more common in lower arch
where gingival end of spring clip is difficult to
visualize.
(10) Smart clip Self Ligating bracket:

-NiTi clip mechanism that retains the wire by

two C-shaped spring slips on either side of the
slot.

-The wire contains no moving door or latch and

thus are the only true self-ligating brackets

-Pressure is applied to archwire which deflect

the clip to permit insertion or removal.

-Must also prevent inadvertent loss of ligation

for both small, flexible and large, stiff
archwires
Drawback:

The force required for the removal and insertion of heavy

stainless steel wires is often uncomfortable for patients,a
recent modification addressed this difficulty.
Thankyou…
 The Damon Philosophy

 The Damon philosophy is based on the principle of using just enough

force to initiate tooth movement—the threshold force.

 It is a system that has been developed to try to match each phase

of treatment with the natural force systems of normal growth and

development. It is so apparent that if the clinician can apply the

appropriate biologic force at the right time of treatment, the impact

can have a profound positive effect on efficient tooth movement.

 The Damon Philosophy

 The underlying principle behind the threshold force is that it must be low

enough to prevent occluding the blood vessels in the periodontal membrane to

allow bone resorption and apposition and thus permit tooth movement.

 a passive edgewise self-ligation system provides three key features:

● Very low levels of static and dynamic friction,

● Rigid ligation due to the positive closure of the slot by the gate or slide,

● Control of tooth position because there is an edgewise slot of adequate

width and depth.

Damon SL Damon 2 Damon 3 Damon MX

Damon Q Damon Clear 2 Damon Q 2

(8)Damon SL1 brackets
Perhaps the most renowned self–ligating brackets
introduced by Dr. Dwight Damon in 1996

Damon Philosophy- use just enough force to initiate

tooth movement; the threshold force

Low enough to prevent occluding of blood vessels in the PDL & allow cellular
activity where bone resorption and apposition occurs- permitting tooth
movement

Forces generated by archwire is transmitted directly to the teeth and

supporting structures without absorption or transformation by the ligature
system
Is a passive-self ligation system, a slide is incoporated

 it is suggested that this type of system results in

 Less anchorage requirements

 Less intraoral expansion

 Because the force of the archwire is not transformed or absorbed by

the ligatures

 Less need for extractions

 Low levels of static and dynamic friction

 Rigid ligation

 Control of tooth position

Disadvantages:

Slides sometimes opened inadvertently

Slides were prone to breakage

(9) Damon 2 bracket:

 Passive self ligating bracket

introduced by Dr. Dwight Damon in

the Year 2000.

 The imperfections in Damon SL

brackets led to the development of

Damon2 brackets.
 They retain the same vertical slide action and
U-shaped spring to control opening and closing,
but place the slide within the shelter of the
tiewings.
 Combined with metal injection moulding
manufacture, which permits closer tolerances,
eliminated inadvertent slide opening or slide
breakage.
 Slides can be opened and closed with
conventional light wire plier.
 Slide can be opened inferiorly in both arches in
order to give an unobstructed view of the slot.
Drawback:

1. brackets were not easy to open

2. it was possible for slide to be in a

half opened position hindering archwire

placement and removal.

(10) DAMON -3
1. A combination of clear material and stainless steel
makes it aesthetics.

2. Remarkably easy-to-use slide mechanism makes wire

changes easier.

3. Ultra-smooth contours and rounded edges provide

maximum comfort.

4. Slot with four solid walls facilitates fast low-friction tooth movement
with maximum control.

5. High-retention mechanical bonding base assures strong, reliable bonding.

Drawbacks:

-high rate of bond failure

-fractured resin tie wings

-seperation of metal from resin components

(11) Damon MX

These brackets are all metal and have

essentially the same sliding mechanics as
Damon 3 with further refinements.

They have vertical slot behind the archwire

slot into which pre-fabricated auxillary
hooks can be added to any bracket as
required.
(11) Damon Q

Fully metal brackets

A slim profile and their size is 13%

smaller than 3МХ brackets.

Damon Q provides quicker and controlled

tooth movement & reduce duration of
orthodontic procedures
(11) Damon Clear 2
 Damon Clear 2 combines the properties of low friction
passive self-ligating technology with the aesthetics
that image-conscious patients demand.
 Result and aesthetics
 Completely aesthetic passive self-ligation brackets,
with unparalleled design.
 Polycrystalline alumina (PCA) material resistant to
staining from coffee, mustard, red wine and other
agents.
 Eliminates the need for elastomerics, which stain
and collect bacteria during treatment.
 Enhanced strength
 Sturdy construction with fortified slide, window channel
and tie-wings for exceptional strength and durability.
 Four solid walls enable effective torque expression and
rotation control for meticulous finishing
 Comfort
 Smooth, rounded contours for outstanding patient
comfort.
 Customized base design with patented laser-etched pad
for optimal bond strength and maximum reliability.
 Comfort
 Smooth, rounded contours for outstanding patient
comfort.
 Customized base design with patented laser-etched pad
for optimal bond strength and maximum reliability.
(11) Damon Q2

The refined precision slot of Damon Q2

provides an over 2x improvement in rotation
control1 for optimal precision and predictability
—providing clinicians the versatility to help
efficiently treat all cases with simplified
mechanics.
(11) Damon Q2
PREDICTABLE
PERFORMANCE
Modified prescription3 for ENHANCED
upper, central and lateral VERSATILITY
standard torque brackets, Tie-wing design provides
designed to deliver ample under tie-wing
predictable and efficient area4 to better
treatment accommodate all power
chain, elastics, steel
SIMPLIFIED ligatures and other
POSITIONING auxiliaries for treatment
New vertical scribe line versatility
along with the
rhomboid-shaped pad
helps guide desired
bracket placement
PHASES OF TREATMENT

Treatment can be divided into the following four phases:

initial NiTi light, round-wire phase

high-tech edgewise phase

major mechanics phase

finishing and detailing

Initial NiTi light, round-wire phase

Archwires are carefully selected to minimize binding between the

“tube” of the passive ligating bracket and the archwire. This allows
sliding of the teeth and brackets along the wire as they start to level
and align.

Binding and friction in a conventional mechanical system comes from

the ligature pushing on the wire and the seating of archwire against
the base of the slot. There is also the binding created by the
deflection of the archwire against the sides of the bracket slots in
crowded cases.
With the Damon System, the intent of the initial light round archwires is
to apply just enough force to stimulate cellular activity without crushing
the vascular supply in the periodontium.

This has been defined as staying in the “Optimal Force Zone” or Biozone.

The intent of the initial archwire is not to remove all of the rotations but
to align teeth and bracket slots just enough to move to the second phase
of archwire progression.

To summarize: the initial phase starts tooth movement, rotation control,
leveling, aligning, arch form, and prepares for the second phase of archwire
sequencing.
High-tech edgewise phase

This phase is the “heart and soul” of the System.

Starts working on torque, root angulations, levels, completes rotation

control, continues arch form development, consolidates space in the
anterior segments, and prepares for the third phase of archwire
sequencing.

It is critically important to take an OPG and evaluate the root and
bracket position before proceeding to the major mechanics phase of
treatment.
Major mechanics phase

iThis phase is the working phase of treatment.

This includes posterior space closure, anteroposterior dental correction,

and adjusting buccolingual discrepancies.

Stainless steel archwires are primarily used to maintain vertical and

buccolingual control during this major mechanical phase of treatment.
Finishing and detailing phase

If adjustments and torque requirements are minimal, the working archwire
can be used to complete treatment.

If moderate bends and torque are required, it is recommended to use

edgewise TMA as this gentle archwire makes finishing easy for both patient
and clinician.
 Archwire Sequencing for 0.022 Brackets
LIGHT ROUND WIRE PHASE

.014 NiTi
SE Initial archwire – Start tooth movement, leveling, begin arch form
development, prepare for next archwire.

.016 NiTi SE
Used occasionally as second archwire in severely crowded adult cases that
are not quite ready for the second phase archwire.
 Archwire Sequencing for 0.022 Brackets
HIGH-TECH EDGEWISE PHASE

.016 x .025 NiTi SE

The workhorse of the second phase. Placed in upper and lower well-prepared arches.
If this wire is too difficult to engage, insert .014 x.025 NiTi SE – this is critically
important!

.014 x .025 NiTi SE

A great transition wire. Used extensively in lower arches with less interbracket
distance.

.018 x .025 NiTi SE

Followup archwire if .014 x .025 NiTi SE is used. Excellent wire to prepare for
insertion of the working stainless steel transition wire.
 Archwire Sequencing for 0.022 Brackets
HIGH-TECH EDGEWISE PHASE

.017 x .025 NiTi SE

Used with 20° of anterior torque and reverse curve; superb for division 2
second wire. If only intrusion needed, use the same size wire without the
torque in the anterior.

.019 x .025 NiTi SE

Used with 20° of anterior torque and reverse curve. Great followup wire
on challenging division 2 cases. If only intrusion needed, use the same size
wire without torque in
the anterior.
 Archwire Sequencing for 0.022 Brackets
MAJOR MECHANICS PHASE

.019 x .025 SS Preposted

Excellent archwire to maintain integrity of arch. During anteroposterior
correction and closure. Great for maintaining the anterior vertical and
posterior buccolingual.

.016 x .025 SS Preposted

Used in lower arch when more play is desired. Nice finishing archwire in
lower arch if all the torques are acceptable.
 Archwire Sequencing for 0.022 Brackets
FINISHING PHASE

In most cases, the working archwires are kept in place and used to finish
the case. If more bending or torquing of archwires is needed to
finish, .019 x .025 or .017 x .025 TMA archwires are excellent choices.
 Biomechanical Challenges of SLB vs Conventional
Rotational control: In self-ligating bracket systems, the interplay of wire to
bracket limits absolute correction of the rotations. Rotation control is
affected by the mesial-distal size of the bracket slot and the mesiodistal
width of the locking mechanism.

Positioning the bracket slightly off-centre on the tooth helps with rotational
control. However, owing to bracket-wire interplay, residual rotations can be
a challenge.
Tandem archwires

Initial 0.014 in. HA NiTi archwire and a second round nitinol classic archwire,
0.014 in. in the 0.018 in. slot, or 0.016 in. in the 0.022 in. slot. Instead of
removing completely passive initial archwire, a second archwire is placed directly on
top of the initial archwire, forming a tandem archwire.

Provides maximum control of the vertical, horizontal and rotational dimensions.

Prepares the brackets for simple and easy insertion of a rectangular archwire.

Correction of fine imbrications with

tandem wire. (A) Pre-treatment,
(B) mid-treatment, (C) crowding
correction with tandem wires—0.014
NiTi HA + 0.016 NiTi.
configuration of the tandem wires
in the lower incisor SmartClip
bracket is self-adjusted according
to the need, that is tooth position
to be corrected. The two wires
position themselves automatically
according to the required tooth
(A) Buccolingual disposition of the
wires, (B) occluso- gingival
movement that could be either in
disposition of the wires.
the buccolingual (B-L) or
occlusogingival (O-G) directions.
Torque considerations

Torque is a force system produced by a twist

in an archwire that creates a couple when
interacted with a bracket slot.

The expressed torque will always depend on the surface contact area of
bracket and archwire. The play between a 0.019 × 0.025 in. wire when
tied into the 0.022 × 0.025 in. bracket slot is said to be 10.5 degrees
and the play of a 0.017 × 0.025 in. wire tied into a 0.018 × 0.025 in.
bracket slot is 4.5 degrees.
Torque considerations

In conventional brackets, the wire is ligated forcefully, yet there is a play
between the archwire and bracket slot leading to the lack of complete
torque expression. So naturally, in self-ligating brackets where ligatures
are absent, torque expression can be expected to be much less due to this
wire-bracket interplay
Some of the options for effective torque expression are:

1. Additional selective torque can be incorporated in the wire

2. Retraction wires: Use keyhole loop (Closing loop) archwires either 0.019 ×
0.025 in. SS or β III Titanium. Cinch the wire while closing spaces. This step
achieves an intimate contact of the wire with the bracket base helping achieve
good torque control during space closure.

3. The manufacturers of Damon and the SmartClip appliance systems also provide
brackets with variable torque prescriptions, so one can select appropriate
torque brackets to suit the requirements of the malocclusion.

4. As the SmartClip bracket is a twin bracket, the orthodontist can ligate it

whenever required to achieve the necessary torque. This is called the ‘active
on demand’ feature.
 REFERENCES

E. Theodore, P. Nikolaos .Self ligation in orthodontics.

Proffit W R, Contemporary Orthodontics, fourth edition.

Graber T.M. Orthodontics, Current Principles and Techniques, fifth edition.

Self-ligating brackets: where are we now? - by N. W. T. Harradine -Journal

of Orthodontics 2003 , Vol. 30, No. 3, 262-273.

N. W. T. Harradine Self-ligating brackets and treatment efficiency- -J clin

Orthod 2001, No. 4, 220-227.