CASE STUDY • A single-strand .018 HANT wire • A gold chain attached to the impacted tooth In most cases, an open coil spring, etc., does not need to be used to open space. Bringing in canines in the manner I will demonstrate in Case 1 and Case 2 has worked thus far for every patient whether labially or palatially impacted but one. The one patient commuted from the Midwest and had three other orthodontists involved who kept changing the protocol. That patient lost two teeth and needed implants.
What to do? Case 1
Figure 7: Placement of brackets with 20/20 molar. No elastics, open coil springs, TADs, or co-ligation of teeth were ever used. Space was made by using a large NiTi wire (.018), causing rotation of maxillary right first molar and friction/binding. After 10 weeks, the impacted canine (labial) was ligated, and the wire placed through a link on the gold chain
Figure 8: Twenty weeks after initial bonding, the gold chain was cut and the same .018 HANT placed through a “higher” link. Notice how space has been made through using the correct prescription
Figure 9: Six weeks later, the tooth was erupted and was bonded
Figure 10: Day of removal — 15 months treatment time; 7 total appointments 26 Orthodontic practice
Volume 6 Number 6