Strange Arch wire?

[Sherri]

Has anyone had a top arch wire that has two brass colored hooks attached to the wire? They are trying to close my extraction gaps and pull my front teeth back, so they have hooked a spacer elastic around the back molar and tied that to some wire and then the wire to the funny hooks in the front arch wire hooks. I hear everyone getting closing loops but this seems a little strange.

[jcdamon3]

I have an archwire with a hooks just between the upper canines and the laterals. The ortho is not using it yet though. I am sure there will be elastics in my future very soon though

That does sound like quite a configuration you have there!

[Maya]

I had my adjustment 2 days ago and got the same wire on top that you are describing! Looks so strange against my ceramic upper braces like bull horns. They didn't do the elastics, just said that it is for preparing to close the extraction gaps (which I am VERY keen to close btw, so I guess I have to endure this and have a faster closing). The wire is also stainless steel so it is stiffer than the previous square wire which was still "bendy" in comparison. I certainly felt the stiffness!! It is like my teeth moved straightaway almost.

[sarahorsomeone]

I have a wire like that! Not terribly useful as a statement, but I do.

Loops to hook elastics on are only usually used on the thinner, generally nickel-titanium ("ni-ti"), wires as far as I know. I suppose these are just wires that already come with the hooks on. I've been meaning to ask my orthodontist why they are different colour for a while.

Otherwise there are wires which have slide-on or clip-on hooks, similar (or the same) as those used for orthognathic surgery. That's what Linda21's appear to be as far as I can tell.