Metal Mouth Message Board

Does anyone know the various types of sizes for your archwires? I am on a 19 now on the top, and it seemed like she really had to push it in to the brackets. It also looks huge compared to the bottom, and they are rectangle.
I am just curious how big they can get..

If you have a "19" and it's rectangle, then you have a .019x.025 wire, and that's as big as it gets.

Below is my archwire progression:

Consult May14/08;
BRACE DAY Jul 7- .014 archwire;
Sep 8- .018 archwire; Nov 3- .014x.025 archwire;
Jan 9- .018x.025 archwire;
Mar 6- 0.19x.025 archwire, powerchains & class II elastics;
May 15 - 3D xray;
May 21 - 10 brackets re-positioned;
Oct 8/09 - Suresmile scan.
Dec 17/09 - Suresmile wire. No more elastics or powerchains
Jan 28/10 – Powerchain again on top. Suresmile wire still working.
Surgery scheduled for April 16/10

Thats as big as it gets??
I am only 2 months into treatment.. Is this really going to be my last adjustment?

Are you sure it's a rectangle wire then? My second wire was a .018 round wire. Then I moved to a rectangle wire. But yes, the .019 x .025 wire is the largest - at least from all the literature I've read.

I have been in a .019 x .025 wire for almost a year now, but that doesn't mean it was my last adjustment. I have had brackets re-positioned and power chains put on and now have a Suresmile wire - which has many bends in it to to the finishing details - aligning etc.

looks pretty rectangle to me.. Can you tell from my pictures?

Well, your arch has really rounded out, so it might be rectangle. That's a fast progression though if that's the thickest archwire. I would ask them next time you're there. It does look thicker, but it's hard to tell

I always ask what I'm getting. My ortho and his assistants are used to all my questions now.

Anyway, your teeth look great. Nice progress in two months!

The largest archwire is going depend on whether your braces are with an 18 or 22 slot (the vertical height as 0.018inches or 0.022 inches). Those using 18 slots will use an archwire up to about 18X25, but often finish in 16X22 or 16X25. In the 22 system, few orthodontists "fill the slot". Commonly, 19x25, and less frequently, 21X25 wires will be final archwires (note that the 2nd dimension is the depth of the bracket).

Not all treatment finishes with rectangular wire. There are indications for completing treatment in stainless steel round wires also.

...the .019 rectangle wire, and was told it is the largest wire. I went through 2 or 3 other round, thinner wires before I got the big mama.

what's the difference between round wires and rectangle wires?

what do rectangle wires do?

i'm at my 3rd wire and it's still round. my teeth are straight, when will i get rectangle wires and for what?

haywire wrote:what's the difference between round wires and rectangle wires?

what do rectangle wires do?

i'm at my 3rd wire and it's still round. my teeth are straight, when will i get rectangle wires and for what?

I read somewhere that Rectangular wire straighten the roots of your teeth. which makes the crowns of your teeth appear straighter.

How go you know what kind of architecture you have? And where can I find info on them?

Pixelada wrote:How go you know what kind of architecture you have? And where can I find info on them?

I always just listen to my Ortho when she's yelling out orders to the assistant. That's how I know.