Inventors:
Jackson J. Good - Norfolk NE
International Classification:
A61C 300
Abstract:
A method for precisely fitting dental wire to brackets on a patient's teeth includes the initial step of measuring the width of the teeth to which the dental wire will be affixed. The width of the teeth are plotted along a straight baseline on a base block, with the desired spacing between the teeth. The dentist must then determine the amount and direction of biasing force necessary to reposition the misaligned teeth to an aligned position. The dental wire is then bent into the appropriate shape using the plotted measurements on the base block to determine the appropriate spacing between the bends and loops in the dental wire. Finally, the dental wire is attached to the brackets on the patient's teeth. The apparatus utilized by the dentist in performing the method of the invention includes a base block as described above, with a straight baseline and a lower edge parallel to the baseline. A T-square-like device is provided with apertures located in an arrangement which will allow pins to be inserted through the T-square into the base block in a predetermined arrangement.