2023 KAO, OCT 26

SHINGHUNG/ORMCO BOOTH SEMINAR

Micro-environment of

Damon Bracket – Wire

Interface
 Micro-environment of

Damon Bracket-Wire Interface

EUROPIAN
DAMON MASTER LEE YU-HYUN DDS,MSD,PHD
 Understanding
“Holding Connector”
 Understanding
“Holding Connector”
Slot :
mesial-distal oriented opening in a
bracket or tube primarily to contain an
archwire
Slot :
mesial-distal oriented opening in a
bracket or tube primarily to contain an
archwire
 h : Slot Height
occluso-gingival dimension of a rectangle
 d : Slot Depth
bucco-lingual dimension of a rectangle
 ls : Slot Length
mesial-distal dimension of the slot
Four Rigid Walls of Slot
Four Rigid Walls of Slot
Four Rigid Walls of Slot

Upper Gingival Wall

Lower Incisal wall

Four Rigid Walls of Slot

Slot Base Door

Four Rigid Walls of Slot

Upper Gingival Wall

Lower Incisal wall

 How the torque is incorporated
into bracket prescription in general ?

Torque is incorporated in SWA

by varying the thickness of base
or by varying the thickness of stem
under the slot.
 Stem of Bracket
: the portion of a bracket between the bracket base
and the most lingual portion of the slot
Can you distinct the torque variation
in PSL at glance?
High Torque, 22˚

22˚
High Torque, 17˚
High Torque, 17˚
High Torque, 17˚

When you evaluate the amount of torque,

you should let the slot base be in 90˚ with lower wall.
Can you distinct the torque variation
in PSL at glance?
Low Torque, 2˚

2˚
Low Torque, 2˚

When you evaluate the amount of torque,

you should let the slot base be in 90˚ with lower wall.
Can you distinct the torque variation
in PSL at glance?

High Torque, 22˚ Low Torque, 2˚

22˚
If we put the bracket base in 90˚,
the direction of bracket slot walls will be
changed according to angle of
torque.
High Torque, 22˚

Directing the
Slot Downward
Before the archwire is inserted,
the inner environment of high torque
bracket will be as follow figure.

Courtesy of Dr. Damon

1.This circumstances should not be confused
to be torque in face.
2. If bracket stem of one bracket is parallel
and coincide with bracket slot wall, that is
said to be torque in base according ISO.

Courtesy of Dr. Damon

Torque in-face vs Torque in-base in ISO
Then, how the torque
is expressed in PSL?
Including in all bracket systems
such as ASL and ligation bracket.
Many clinicians have assumed that
torque is achieved from seating the
archwire tight against the base of
archwire slot. (Dr. Damon, 2012 JCO interview)
This can have a strong clinical down
side because of generating force that
also inhibits “play” in the mechanical
system.

Dr. Roth
1. Torque is one of the most misunderstanding con-
cept in clinical orthodontics.
2. Few clinicians seem to understand the bracket
slot-archwire interface. (Dr. Damon, in Shang-
Understanding
the bracket slot-archwire interface in PSL
Torque prescription of a PSL bracket
will express itself
when only two edge of a rectangular
archwire engage opposing walls of the
lumen.
 Understanding
the bracket slot-archwire interface in PSL
 Passive Torque

1. Two edge of rectangular archwire cannot touch the upper

wall or lower wall by dimensional shortage.
The archwire floats in lumen, doing arch development.

2. This situation can be seen in .014 x .025 CuNiTi in PSL.

Passive torque

.014 x .025 CuNiTi

Door Touching

.014 x .025 CuNiTi

Arch Development

.014 x .025 CuNiTi

 Passive Torque

1. When the torque is achieved in PSL, all the final state of

archwire and slot interface will be passive torque state.
2. After level-slot line up, the final state of archwire and slot
interface is passive torque state.
 Active Torque

1. Twisting energy in archwire is delivered to bracket, touching

upper wall and lower wall of slot.
2. Root lingual torque or root labial torque which is endowed in
rectangular wire is expressed by two point contact.
Active Torque
Root Lingual Torque
Active Torque
Root Labial Torque
What is the main difference in two micro-environment?

Passive Torque Active Torque

What is the main difference in two micro-environment?

two-point contact

Passive Torque Active Torque

Two-point Contact
 The analysis of two-point contact

two opposing corners of the edgewise archwire

two opposing walls of the bracket slot

Four corners of the edgewise archwire
Two upper and lower walls of the bracket slot in PSL
The Concept of Connector
The various sites made by two opposing corners of the edge-
wise archwire and two opposing bracket walls, base and doors.
By connector, the torque, rotation, and angulation is expressed.
The term of connector was initially introduced by Dr. Damon in
2012.
The Connector

The contact sites between the corners of rectangular archwires

and four rigid walls in PSL.

Connector is the generating sites for torque, angulation and ro-

tation. In micro-environment of PSL, there will be hundreds of
connector made by various tooth movements.
 The Torque Connector

In various connectors, connectors attached only to upper and

lower walls can make torque movement, which is called to be
torque connector or torque(torquing) couple.
The Biomechanics of Connector

Blue rectangle : a wire engaged in the slot

Red arrows : the direction of force pro-

duced by the wire contacting against the
slot walls

Red stars : connectors

Small white arrow : the direction of torsion

provided in wire by company or clinicians

Large purple arrow : the direction of tooth movement, Mc

Active Torque
Playing twist in rectangular archwire

Root Lingual Torque Root Labial Torque

Torque Gain (+) Up-righting ()
 Playing twist in rectangular archwire

1. This is final method for detailing in PSL. Playing bends for

torque may supply much force level to which we don’t ex-
pected to be. This situation is not good for PSL.
 Playing twist in rectangular archwire

2. Torquing force is supplied by twisted archwire in parallel slot

with occlusal plane. That will be disappear suddenly without
achieving planned torque
3. Torquing reaction in this situation will be one time or sudden
reaction, not continuous reaction.
 The two methods of applying torque on the tooth

1. Playing twist in rectangular archwire

2. Angulating the bracket slot
Then, what is ideal
method for getting
torque in PSL?
Understanding
“Holding
Connector”
The Concept of Holding Connector

The term of “ Holding Connector” indi-

cates the action of grasping that outer-
component(bracket slot) changes its
position for catching inner-
component(wire) for expressing torque
in PSL.

This concept was also proposed by Dr. Damon for the

first time in history of orthodontics(2012).
The Concept of Holding Connector
Holding Connector
 Initial micro-environment of bracket-wire interface
Slot wall : parallel
Wire : silent

Without Holding connector

 Positional change of Slot : counterclockwise direction
Slot wall : upward
Wire : squeezed

c t or !!!
on n e
gc
Holdin

This holding is made by positional change of slot, that is, the

power source of torquing is generated by wire squeezing, not by
inherent power of wire.
Holding
Connector!!

This holding is made by positional change of slot,

that is, the power source of torquing is generated by
wire squeezing, not by inherent power of wire.
Two methods of Holding Connector

Upward Holding Lower Holding

Metaphor : Holding connector

Upper Bun : Upper Slot Wall

Middle Patty : Rectangular Wire

Lower Bun : Lower Slot wall

Metaphor : Holding connector

Upper Bun : Upper Slot Wall

Middle Patty : Rectangular Wire

Lower Bun : Lower Slot wall

Metaphor : Holding connector

Upper Bun : Upper Slot Wall

Middle Patty : Rectangular Wire

Lower Bun : Lower Slot wall

 Engagement Angle
The angle of freedom of the wire in the slot
Slop

When an orthodontic wire is inserted into a

bracket slot, if the wire is undersized relative
to the slot, it will be able to rotate within the
slot before it contacts the walls of the slot.
 The Meaning of Engagement Angle in PSL

This means that the tooth can rotate around

the wire +12˚,-12˚ in total 24˚.
 Clockwise Rotation in PSL

Clockwise rotation in PSL will happen in up-

per incisor be in Class II mechanism such as
using elastics and Herbst appliances.
 Clockwise Rotation in PSL

Clockwise rotation of PSL will continue until

it meet the stop point which is the corner
of .019 x.025 ss archwire, connector(torquing
couple).
 Clockwise Rotation in PSL

With retraction movement, the incisor will “tuck un-

der” until it reaches connectors. At these connec-
tors, the archwire will begin to deliver lingual root
Lower Holding Torquing Couples
Slot : downward direction

The position of Connector

Upper Slot wall : Labial
Lower Slot wall : Lingual

Torquing Play : in Lower Wall

The Biomechanics of High Torque Couple

C on
ne c
t or
1 :U
pp e
r Sl
ot w
all
in
12˚ Torquing Play : in Lower Wall La b
C on ia l
ne c
t or
2:
Low
er S
lot
wa
ll in L
i ng
u al
 The Biomechanics of High Torque Couple

12˚

Root lingual Torque is derived from initial two

point contacts made with archwire which is
called to be specifically high torque couple.
Counter-Clockwise Rotation in PSL

Counter-clockwise rotation in PSL may hap-

pen in upper incisor during arch development
mechanism which is used in ordinary daily
practice between Damon users.
Counter-Clockwise Rotation in PSL

Counter-clockwise rotation of PSL will con-

tinue until it meet the stop point which is the
coner of .019 x.025 ss archwire,
connector(torquing couple).
Counter-Clockwise Rotation in PSL

With protraction or arch development mechanism in

PSL, the incisor will procline until it reach a torque of
24˚(standard torque in the slot + torquing play : 12˚+
12˚ ).
Upward Holding Torquing Couples

Slot : Upward direction

The position of Connector

Upper Slot wall : Lingual
Lower Slot wall : Labial

Torquing Play : in Upper Wall

The Biomechanics of Low Torquing Couple

L in gual
wa l l in
pe r Slot
r 2 : Up
o n ne ct o
C 12˚ Torquing Play : in Upper Wall

La bial
wall in
e r Slot
1 : Low
ne ctor
C on
 The Biomechanics of Low Torque Couple

12˚

Root Labial Torque is derived from initial two

point contacts made with archwire which is
called to be specifically Low Torque Couple.
High Torque Couple Low Torque Couple
 New Nomenclature in PSL
• Passive Torque
• Active Torque

Holding High Torque Couple

Holding Low Torque Couple
Holding Torquing Couple

Holding Connectors
Bracket-Wire Interface in PSL
Microscopic approach
 High Torque Couple
Micro-CT Scanner

ORMCO
 Low Torque Couple
Micro-CT Scanner

ORMCO
 High Torque Couple Low Torque Couple

Dr. Lee, why does the direction of head of arrow between the
pictorial presentation and the real picture of Damon bracket-
wire interface differ?
The answer will be
known to us when we
come to understand
how the torque will be
expressed in PSL.
How the torque of PSL is expressed ?
3 steps

I) Passive State II) Holding Torquing Couple III) Straightening of the slot
 Lto : torque plane

Fc : contact force by the bracket

Mwto : archwire torque moment

Contact force(Fc) exerted on the archwire is originated by the

tipping bracket.
 Lto : torque plane

Fc : contact force by the bracket

Mwto : archwire torque moment

The eccentricity of these contact forces in the torque plane(Lto)

creates, in turn, a torque moment exerted by the bracket on the
archwire.
 Lto : torque plane

Fc : Contact force by the bracket

Mwto : archwire torque moment

This will be referred to as the archwire torque moment(Mwto).

Lto : torque plane

Fc : Contact force by bracket

Mwto : archwire torque moment

Mwto = Fc x Lto
 Lto : torque plane

Fw : Contact force by wire

Mrto : root torque moment

Because of the torsional rigidity of the archwire, a

state of equilibrium is reached in which the archwire
torque moment is balanced by the equal and opposite
torque moment exerted by the archwire on the
root(Mrto) through the torque surfaces of the bracket.
Lto : torque plane

Fw : Contact force by wire

Mrto : root torque moment

Mrto = Fw x Lto
This moment, known as the root torque
moment(Mrto), will cause the root to
upright with respect to archwire in the
torque plane.
Mwto = Mrto
This is the main mechanism
of expressing torque(using
Holding Connector) in PSL. It
will be necessary to fully
understand this slide for
getting torque in mind.
Two endeavors to get the Mrto
1. By supplying the difference between
bracket slot horizontal axis and arch-
wire axis, axial difference.

Non-Axial Difference Axial Difference

Two kinds of Axial Difference

(I) (II
)

Torque Variation Wire Bends

Non- Biological Forces
Two endeavors to get the Mrto
2. By supplying enough torsional rigidity
of the archwire

Angulated Slot Straightened Slot

During Torquing After Torquing
The Importance of Archwire Quality
during torque expression in PSL

I) Passive State II) Holding Torquing Couple III) Straightening of the slot

without rotational deflection

 The Importance of Archwire Quality
during torque expression in PSL

1. During process of holding, the arch-

wire should resist against contact force
from bracket without rotational deflec-
 The Importance of Archwire Quality
during torque expression in PSL

I) Passive State II) Holding Torquing Couple III) Straightening of the slot

Archwire : Without Rotational Deflection Archwire : Enough Tortional Rigidity

 The Importance of Archwire Quality
during torque expression in PSL

2. During torquing, torquing force by

enough tortional rigidity of archwire
should be supplied against Fc.
The Clinical meaning High Torque
High Torque, 22˚

22˚

2̊2˚
2023 KAO, OCT 26
SHINGHUNG/ORMCO BOOTH SEMINAR

My Way to Treating
Class II Using
Damon System
EUROPIAN
DAMON MASTER LEE YU-HYUN DDS,MSD,PHD
Liberation from Class II
Using Damon System
EUROPIAN LEE YU-HYUN DDS,MSD,PHD

DAMON MASTER
Liberation from Class II
Using Damon System
FREEDOM
KCH,38Y6M
(I I had used only Class II elastics on Damon system
) for this case.

(II
)

(III)

(IV)