why did they put a slight kink in my archwire?

Message

#1 Post by **danz23** » Thu Nov 18, 2010 10:37 pm

Yesterday I went in to the ortho coz my lingual button had come off (third time I swallowed one!). When I got home and had a look in the mirror I noticed they'd put a slight in the wire and I'm just wondering what that's for? The wire has been straight for a while coz my teeth are quite straight. My ortho and the assistant were talking I think about tipping a couple of teeth. Would it have had something to do with that? Or, I was wondering if it was something to do with keeping the button on coz the bit where the wire isn't straight is on the same side as the button? They also gave me some tiny little elastics which I am to use until I next go in (not till they reopen after christmas). So amazing I can even get them on!

Thanks

#2 Post by **hal2me** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 9:33 am

Hi danz23!

The ortho puts a kink in the wire to put more pressure for movement. I had a really crooked tooth on the bottom that had to be rotated 180 degrees. The wire near that tooth always had a kink. Even now!

Hope this helps!

#3 Post by **VA5** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 10:06 am

I'm glad you posted this b/c I have the same question. My impression is that you can get kinks/bends in the wires for different thing. I think tipping is one, and then another is to push your teeth in or out of the gum (intrude/extrude respectively)

I don't really understand how it works though, and I'm hoping somebody can jump in with an explanation. My top anteriors for example have kinks in them and the wire goes up towards my front four teeth, and both sides, so it kind of looks like ____/---------\_______ the dotted lines in the middle are suppose to be the wire by the way and that's where my front four teeth are. To me, I would think that meant my front 4 teeth would be extruded (pushed down), but my ortho is trying to intrude those front 4 teeth. Does this sound right?

#4 Post by **danz23** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 9:47 pm

Thanks for your replies. My teeth dont look level so maybe theyre extruding the two where the kinks are in the wire. Is that the same as tipping then??? I'm sure I heard them mention tipping when I was in the chair. Hal2me are you still on track for debanding tomorrow? I just noticed your ticker. Looks like youve have been in braces a few weeks longer than me. They originally told me 18 months and I follow all the rules and yet have not been given a debanding date yet and they haven't mentioned anything about them coming off any time soon! Anyway, hope yours come off and remember to post after pics!

#5 Post by **revontuli** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 12:51 pm

This is a timely question for me because I just got a kink in my archwire too, and was wondering what it was for. I have it right in the middle of my two front teeth, and didn't notice it until after I left the ortho's office so I didn't ask about it. Thanks for the info, everyone who's given some.

#6 Post by **uvraise** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:11 pm

I have kinks all over the place on both wires, top and bottom. My ortho explained it to me like this: At each adjustment, the look at the teeth individually and as a whole. The use all the other teeth as an anchor for any adjustments to the arch.wire on specific teeth. They can move the teeth in the direction they want with a slight tweak of the wire, up, down or rotate it left or right. They can move the teeth other directions like side to side with rubber bands and power chains.

VA5, if you think of this explanation in your case, think of how your wire is bent up at those four teeth, using all the others as an anchor, your teeth would follow the direction of the bend, up.

I hope that helps, and didn't confuse anyone. I think I'm confused now! LOL