TECHNIQUE CLINIC

Conventional steel ligation techniques used on facial brackets are not as effective for lingual brackets, because the lingual bracket slot is highly torqued in relation to its base (Fig. 1). To be effective, the force of ligation must pull the archwire in a direction parallel to the bracket slot.

The steel ligation technique illustrated (Fig. 2) is similar to, but more effective than, the double-over tie used with elastics. Steel ligation provides more force to seat the archwire fully into the slot than elastics do, and archwire removal is not necessary for changing steel ligatures as it is for the double-over elastics.

The efficiency of this technique is enhanced when the pigtail is placed on the side of the bracket where the archwire is farthest from the base of the slot.