Wire ties

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#1 Post by **beth1966** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:00 am

Do you think that any ortho can offer wire ties? I didn't ask mine about those - but I plan to. Also - he has assistants that change the ligs - well i wonder if wire ties are able to be changed by an assistant or if the ortho has to do it since it isn't like the wire ties are premade right? They need to be put on and twisted and it would seem that the tightness could vary vs. actual rubber ligs.

????

#2 Post by **SuperDave** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 9:30 am

yeah the assts can do wire ties. i got them right now and ive had both. your first month or so tho, i dont recomend the wire ties. they are less noticable, but dont cushion the lip or bracket like the rubber ligs. you will find the rubber ligs much more comfortable in the beggining. wire ligs make the brackets much sharper, something you dont really want in your first month. just my thoughts.

SuperDave

#3 Post by **shoshiaf** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:03 am

wire ligs make the brackets much sharper, something you dont really want in your first month.

Yes, this is very true. But I like the wire ties much better because they don't stain at all, unlike my clear rubber ligs. Also, my ortho wouldn't let me wear wire ties until all the spaces closed on my upper arch. I never asked why all the spaces needed to be closed before I could sport the wire ties, but maybe someone else on the board can provide some insight.

#4 Post by **kaycee** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:30 am

My orthodontist explained that wire ties are used when he wants a tooth to NOT move in order to accomplish whatever he is doing at the time. I have a few wire ties and I have really never felt them. If they are poking, it seems like it would be easy to bend in the end or something, the wire is very thin.

Kaycee

#5 Post by **Dawna** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:13 pm

I have always had wire ties, and have had no discomfort other than once when the end came a bit untucked - took a second to fix with the hook you use to put on your elastics,no bother. I have gaps that are being closed so maybe my ortho wouldn't agree with the poster above, when I asked about wire vs. rubber he said the wire ties are faster and stay firmer than the rubber.

#6 Post by **beth1966** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:42 pm

Thanks for all the responses everyone!! Guess every ortho is different with reguard to the wire ties. I will see what mine says - if infact I'm not happy with the rubber ligs but I do plan to give them a try first.

Thanks again!

#7 Post by **loulou123** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:53 pm

Ive had ligs for all of my treatment up until surgery and then they put wire ties on all my teeth instead. I much preferred the ligs as the ties seemed sharp and pointy even when the ends were pushed in. I had the wire ties taken off on thursday and i was very happy to get my ligs back! Thats just my opinion tho.

#8 Post by **Spidey** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:34 pm

I had wire ties during the beginning phases of treatment, and quite often throughout the rest. My ortho said in the beginning it was necessary, my teeth needed the strenght of wire ties to attatch to the archwire because of my "issues". Later, I was able to get lots of colour, but often have had wire for various reasons. Right now I am in a wire~tie power chain. Wire ties wrapped and criss~crossed accross the front 8 brackets on both arches. Very tight and my teeth aren't going anywhere!!!

YaaaaaY to me for the settling phase!

#9 Post by **TigerLily** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:03 am

I've always had wire ties so cannot compare..but I don't have an abnormal amount of discomfort, in my 6 months of braces (though admittedly only lowers so far), I used wax on my brackets for the 1st two days. Every few weeks my cheek gets cut up where there's an edge of a wire tie, but I just tuck it in under my archwire.

Actually, I have had two elastic ligs but probably not enough of a basis to compare.

#10 Post by **browneyedgrl** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:46 pm

Hi Beth,

I'm sure that your ortho offers wire ties. He must use them on his patients sometime during their treatment. I didn't mention anything about wireties until the assistant was going for the ligs on installation and I mentioned that I was a coffee drinker and she didn't see it being an issue and then she asked the ortho just to make sure and he said no problem. I had silver ligs on the lowers since that they're metal. I had the same ties from the beginning and yesterday during my upper wire change, I'm sporting a new set of wire ties.

I did get a lower powerchain yesterday and was looking at the colors (almost went for color, but I wasn't daring enough, maybe next time) I might have to go with color b/c they had clear (which I would be nervous about with staining) and some light shades as well, staining is an issue, silver would probably my best choice, but I'll cross that bridge when the time comes.

Just call the new patient coordinator and ask about the wire ties.

Catch ya later.

B

#11 Post by **MsVarlene** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:19 pm

Wire ties are the standard for me. You gotta make sure that the ends are tucked in under your archwire or else it will scratch and cut up your lips and anyone elses who goes in there.

#12 Post by **Dutch** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:28 pm

You can alway ask if your ortho offers smart clip brackets they don't need ligs as the arch wire clicks into the bracket.

#13 Post by **DireWire** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 6:42 am

I would clearly expect that you can get wire ties if you prefer, and any assistant should be able to put them on.

I actually have a mix of wires and ligs. I have wires in places where:
- the crowding is so strong that the archwire doesn't even come close enough to the tooth to be put into the bracket, so you have to pull the distant tooth in via a wire sling
- elastics aren't strong enough to hold the archwire. In one occasion an elastic popped within 24 hrs because the tension was too strong or maybe due to cleaning. Anyways, it was replaced by wire ties which are more stable.

I don't really care what they put on. Either way is fine for me, and so far, progress has been great and visible. But I think they would be able to accomodate a preference if I had one.

DireWire

#14 Post by **purpleteeth** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 6:46 am

My roommate in college had wire ties because she had too much trouble keeping her teeth clean with the colored ligs. I have heard the ligs are more bulky or something.

Personally, I have no experience because I have self-ligating braces. Sometimes though, I dream of the fun colors everyone else gets to have

#15 Post by **florencegal** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 2:02 pm

I always had rubber ligs from the beginning but then I started having problems with the coloured ones on the bottom breaking only a few weeks after being put on. My ortho thinks it's probably to do with rigourous cleaning! So to save the inconvenience to us both of me going for interim appoinments between adjustments just to change the ligs, he's now put wire ligs on the bottom.
I don't mind them, they're not too scratchy because the ends are tucked in nicely. But does mean no more colour!