Simple thin metal bands at first glance, but for those who know them well, there’s a fascinating world of context and applications within these unassuming little archwires. Archwires are used in braces to deliver force via tension, as well as impose alignment and control over the movement of a patient’s teeth. What this means, is that archwires are the operative force behind braces, and are what Orthodontists use to slowly re-shape the positions of a patient’s teeth.
There are three primary materials used in contemporary orthodontic archwires, each of which having different qualities which make them better-suited to particular roles in ortho work. These materials are the following:
