October, 2008
Custom Made Wire Directors – For Labial and Lingual Orthodontics
Dr.Narayan Gandedkar and Ameet V and Sanjay V Ganeshkar
Introduction
It is not very uncommon to find difficulty in tying a wire into a bracket on a malposed tooth. This is where a wire director/ tucker comes in handy. It also enables full engagement of wires into the brackets allowing full prescription expression. However in our experience commercially available wire tuckers are not standardized for wire sizes, hence don’t fit well and are relatively expensive. We have designed a custom made wire tucker using a Lecron’s carver.
Method
The spoon end of a Lecrons carver is straightened out. A straightened spoon excavator may also serve the same purpose. A carborundum disc mounted on a straight handpiece running at low speed (3000-6000rpm) [1] is used to cut a notch in the straightened spoon as shown in figures 1 and 2.
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
The same method can be used to make directors for use in lingual technique. As shown in figure 3, a 90 degree bend is to be given 3-4mm away from the cut surface for vertically oriented lingual bracket slots. Two 90 degree bends need to be made for horizontally oriented lingual bracket slots as shown in figure 4.
Figure 3.
Figure 4.
Figure 5 shows the clinical photograph for the custom made labial wire director and figures 6 and 7 show the clinical photographs of the lingual director for horizontally oriented bracket slots.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
Figure 7.
Discussion
The technique describes a simple, cost effective method for devising custom wire directors using inexpensive materials.
References
1.Marzouk M A, Simonton A L, Gross R D: Operative dentistry in modern theory and practice, Ishiyaku Euro America, Inc/Dental series, I Edition; page-67,1997.
Contributed by:
Dr. Narayan Gandedkar MDS (Corresponding Author)
Assistant Professor, Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial orthopedics, SDM college of dental sciences and hospital, Sattur, Dharwad, Karnataka, India
Dr. Ameet V MDS
Assistant Professor, Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial orthopedics, SDM college of dental sciences and hospital, Sattur, Dharwad, Karnataka, India
Dr. Sanjay V Ganeshkar MDS
MDORCPS(Glasgow), Diplomate Indian Board of Orthodontics, Vice President Indian orthodontic society, Professor and Head, Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial orthopedics, SDM college of dental sciences and hospital, Sattur, Dharwad, Karnataka, India
