CASE REPORT ACTION “...after a while you start to wonder, “How I ever lived without it”. Fig. 4 Fig. 5 ᕡ #049 -Loop Tie Back Plier from Orthopli ᕢ Open coil springs (I prefer NiTi distalizing springs) ᕣ Small plastic beads (Hobby Lobby or Wal-Mart) ᕤ Small ruler and wax pencil ᕥ .016 ss wire The technique requires the following (Fig. 2): ᕡ Place a stop in the bicuspid or primary molar area (this can be bilateral or unilateral depending on the indications for the protraction, if unilateral the stop on the non-protraction side needs to be at the mesial of the molar tube) ᕢ Measure from mesial of molar tube to stop ᕣ Place a bead distal to the stop ᕤ Place a NiTi open coil spring distal to the bead 2-4 mm longer than the measured space from stop to molar tube ᕥ Remember to leave enough wire distal to molar tube so wire can slide mesial ᕦ Place anchor bends (sweeps) as needed if doing comprehensive Tip-Edge The .016 ss wire will be 3 to 4 mm out of the central incisor brackets while the forces should remain light. (Fig. 3) The following photos will briefly illustrate the many applications of the protraction technique. Fig. 6 Case 1 Interceptive Treatment (Figs. 4-7) 8-year-old with anterior crossbite (note treatment time for crossbite correction of 30 days). Patient was left in wires for three months for improved retention. www.orthodontics.com January/February 2013 19
Journal of the American Orthodontic Society January-February 2013: Page 19
