The Single and Double Self-Straightening Wire

The Single Self-Straightening Wire

A short length of 2mm X 0.08 mm tape is wound round and welded to the labial arch at an area just mesial to the cuspids. 0.45mm (.018) hard stainless steel wire is held parallel with the labial arch using a pair of grooved pliers, wound round twice then turned back again for half a turn to form a loop around the archwire (Fig. 1). The excess wire is then cut off. To complete the other side, the free end of the wire is then laid across the top of the archwire and marked with a piece of chalk (Fig. 2). The free end of the wire is curved following the curve of the archwire and wound around the archwire (at the point marked with the chalk) the same as the other side (Fig. 3). The excess wire is then cut off and any sharp points are removed using a small stone. This completes the single self-straightening wire. The fine wire should slide freely along the labial archwire (Fig. 4).

The single and double self-straightening wires are attachments wound onto the labial arch of removable appliances and are very efficient for the retraction of prominent anteriors.

THE DOUBLE SELF-STRAIGHTENING WIRE OR CROSSED-OVER SELF-STRAIGHTENING WIRE

This attachment may be used for closing spaces between anterior teeth, as well as retracting them. It is also useful for the correction of prominent cuspids.

The labial archwire is constructed leaving the retention tags straight. A length of 0.4mm (.016) hard stainless steel wire is held parallel with another length of wire, the same gauge as the labial arch wire, 0.8mm (.032), and wound round this very tightly about six times (Fig. 5). This is then threaded onto the labial arch and the excess wire is cut off (Fig. 6). The labial arch is held with a pair of pliers, near the U-loop and the free end of the 0.4mm wire is wrapped round (Fig. 7) and bent back so the 0.4mm wire rests on top of the labial arch (Fig. 8). The required length of wire is then marked with a piece of chalk and wound round the archwire using the same procedure as when winding the single self-straightener on the labial arch (Fig. 9). The other side of the double self-straightener is constructed using the same procedure as the first side. The retention tags can now be bent, and any sharp points on the fine wire are removed using a small stone.

CONCLUSION

These two wire attachments are simple and effective. They can be easily replaced. If additional retraction is required the U-loops can be closed with a pair of pliers. The self-straightening wires can be tied back to the labial arch with cotton thread should the operator wish to postpone retraction until a later date (Fig. 10). When the dentist feels that it is time for retraction to begin, the cotton thread is cut, and the self-straighteners go immediately into action, applying a constant pressure.