Orthodontics is one of the departments in dentistry involving the treatment and irregularities of teeth. It involves serial extraction (which is the removal of teeth because of the correction to be done not because of pain. The dentist specifically trained for this purpose is called orthodontics. also, have specialized training in facial abnormalities and disorders of the jaw.
Here is the list of Orthodontic instruments
- Separator placing pliers
- Johnsons contouring pliers
- Nylon band seater
- Mershon band pusher
- Posterior band remover
- Bracket holder
- Weingart Pliers
- Ligature tucker/ligature director
- Mosquito artery forceps – straight
- Mathieu ligature pliers
- Coon’s ligature pliers
- Distal end cutter
- Ligature cutter
- Triple beak pliers
- Omega pliers
- Nance pliers
- Light wire pliers
- Tweed pliers
- How(e) pliers
- Mitchells trimmer
- Adams spring forming pliers
- Adams universal pliers
- Mauns heavy duty wire cutter
Uses
Orthodontics is the study of the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of irregularities of the teeth and jaws. Orthodontic instruments are used in conjunction with fixed and removable appliances.
1. Separator placing pliers
Use and characteristics
- Used for placing elastic separators inter-proximally
- Single-ended instrument – handle is adapted for a palm grasp (Different sizes and shapes are available).
False friends
Rubber dam clamp forceps and Coons ligature pliers
2. Johnsons contouring pliers
Use and characteristics
- Used to re-contour and adapt an orthodontic band to a tooth
- Beaks are tapered with a slight bow
- One beak is concave while the other is convex allowing re-contouring of bands (Shape of beaks may vary)
3. Nylon band seater
Use and characteristics
- Used for the patient to bite to facilitate the seating of an orthodontic band
- Edge of the tip is serrated to facilitate grip
- Autoclavable
(Many shapes and sizes available)
4. Mershon band pusher
Use and characteristics
- Aid in the placement and seating of orthodontic bands
- Can be used to adapt the coronal portion of the band to the tooth
- Handle is designed to allow better operator grasp
False friend
Couplands chisel
5. Posterior band remover
Function, features, and method of use
- Used to remove posterior orthodontic bands
- Two stainless steel beaks, one may have a nylon tip (maybe replaceable)
- When removing a band, the nylon tip is placed on the occlusal surface, and the curved beak is placed at the gingival edge of the band
Varieties
- Different sizes and shapes available
- Tip may be metal instead of nylon
6. Bracket holder
Use and characteristics
- Securely grasps the orthodontic bracket during placement
- Applying pressure opens working end and releasing closes working end
Varieties
- Different sizes and shapes available
- The control mechanism may vary
7. Weingart Pliers
Use and characteristics
- Used to guide and move the archwire in and out of placement
- Used to hold the archwire during bending
- The bend in the beak facilitates easy grasping of the archwire and guiding into buccal tubes
Varieties
Different shapes and sizes of beaks available
8. Ligature tucker/ligature director
Use and characteristics
- Used to tuck excess ligature wire out of the way to reduce tissue trauma
- Notch in the working end allows the operator to apply pressure to the archwire to bend it into place
Varieties
- Can be single-ended or double-ended
- Different sizes and shapes of working ends
9. Mosquito artery forceps – straight
Use and feature
- Used to grasp and place orthodontic separators, power chain, and modules
- The beak is serrated for a better grasp
Varieties
Different sizes and shapes are available
False friends
Beebee crown scissors/shears, needle holders
10. Mathieu ligature pliers
Use and features
- Used to grasp and place ligature wires and elastics
- Beaks are serrated for better grasp
- The handle has a locking mechanism and a spring mechanism that help the operator to quickly open and close the pliers
Varieties
Beaks can vary in length and angle
11. Coon’s ligature pliers
Use
Used to tie long ligatures into a ‘figure-of-eight’
Varieties
Various angles and sizes of beaks
False friends
Rubber dam clamp forceps and separator placing pliers
12. Distal end cutter
Use and features
- Used to cut the distal portion of an orthodontic archwire
- Can be used extra-orally (prior to placement)
- Can be used intra-orally (after placement)
- There is a ‘safety’ mechanism to hold the cut archwire so it does not fall into the patients mouth
Varieties
Various angles and sizes of beaks
13.Ligature cutter
Use and features
- Used to cut ligature wires (not to be used on ligatures more than 0.015 mm in diameter as it damages the cutting edge)
- Can also be used to cut elastics and power chains
- Edges are sharp and can be sharpened when they become dull
Varieties
- Variety of beaks and cutting angles
- Some may have replaceable beaks
14.Triple beak pliers
Use
- Used to place a bend in an orthodontic archwire
- Used to contour and shape an orthodontic archwire
Varieties
Beaks may vary in size and shape
15. Omega pliers
Use and feature
- Used to bend and form loops in orthodontic archwires
- Grooves in beaks facilitate bending loops into archwires
- Used to bend removable appliance wires
Varieties
Beaks may vary in size and shape
16. Nance pliers
Use
Used to hold and bend orthodontic archwires
Varieties
Beaks may vary depending on the type of archwire to be bent.
17. Light wire pliers
Use
Used to bend and place loops in an orthodontic archwire
Varieties
Variety of beaks
False friend
Adams spring forming pliers
18. Tweed pliers
Use and feature
- Used to bend and form loops in orthodontic archwires
- Grooves in beaks facilitate bending loops into archwires.
19. How(e) pliers
Use and features
- Multipurpose orthodontic pliers
- A long beak with serrated tips for grasping
- Can be used to grasp bands and archwires during placement and removal, and to tie metal ligatures
Varieties
Beaks may vary in size and shape
20. Mitchells trimmer
Uses
- Used after placement of orthodontic bands to remove excess cement
- Can be used after de-bonding brackets in the removal of excess cement with a conventional handpiece and a de-bonding bur
False friends
Hollenback 31/2 carver, Wards carver
21. Adams spring forming pliers
Use and features
- Used to adjust springs on orthodontic removable appliances
- Can be used to smooth and contour archwires
- One beak is rounded, the other is square/flat-ended
Varieties
- Beaks may vary in size and shape
False friend
Light wire pliers
22. Adams universal pliers
Use
Used to adjust headgear, face bows and Adams clasps on removable appliances
Varieties
Different sizes are available
False friend
Adams spring forming pliers
23. Mauns heavy duty wire cutter
Use
To cut heavy archwires or appliance wires – used extra-orally
Varieties
Different sizes and shapes of beaks are available
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Cheek retractors
Use
- To retract cheeks and lips for better visibility
- Often used when bonding fixed appliances and taking photographs
Varieties
- Different sizes and shapes available
- Plastic and metal types available
Intra-oral mirrors
Use
- Aid in visibility when taking intra-oral photographs
- Often used in conjunction with cheek retractors
Varieties
Different sizes and shapes available
Orthodontic bracket card
Use and features
- Used to organize and hold orthodontic brackets to facilitate quick bracket placement
- Each circle on the card corresponds to a particular tooth in the mouth
- Brackets are placed corresponding to the tooth to be bonded
- Tape on the back of the card helps to keep brackets in place
Orthodontic Instruments Set-ups
The following instruments are common to all the below-listed set-ups
- Mouth mirror and handle (p. 33)
- Sickle/contra-angled probe (p. 35)
- College tweezers (p. 37)
- Hand mirror
Related reading
- 15 ORAL SURGERY INSTRUMENTS AND THEIR USES
- Dental Elevators and their uses
- Impression Trays and Their Uses
- Uses of periodontal scaler dental instruments
- Top 10 Instruments Used for Dental Extraction
- Dental Instruments And Their Uses
i really loved your manual/page please add up some contets for better understandings.