Self Ligating

Brackets
 Contents
• Introduction
• Classification
• Properties of ideal ligation system
• Limitation of Convention ligation
• Advantages of SLB
• Treatment efficiency of SLB
• Philosophy of SLB
• Phases of treatment
• Bracket selection
• References
Introduction
The term “self-ligating bracket” is used for brackets that

incorporate a locking mechanism (such as a ring, spring, or

door mechanism) that holds the archwire in the bracket slot.

In 1935, the Russell Lock Edgewise appliance by Dr. Jacob
Stolzenberg introduced the idea of ligature-free brackets,
reducing bracket ligation time
Wildman improved the concept by devising the
Edgelock appliance, which enhanced self-ligating
capabilities with a sliding cap.
• At about the same time, the Mobil-Lock
bracket was introduced by Franz Sander.

• This was the first self-ligating bracket

that had a variable slot.
• In the 1980s, Hanson developed a completely new approach
to self-ligation: the SPEED bracket with a SS flexible clip.
In 1985, the “Activa” brackets were introduced by the
“A” Company
A hybrid between a conventional twin bracket and a
SPEED bracket, known as the In-Ovation bracket, was
developed by Voudouris in 1997.
• Self-ligating bracket with a vertical mechanism was
developed by Dwight Damon and first introduced in 1999.

Damon SL Damon 2
Classification
Self ligating brackets can be classified into

Passive

Active

Interactive

Dual action
 Passive SLB

Passive SLBs utilize a rigid, movable gate or clip to secure the

archwire effectively turning slot into tube.

• Tooth control based on the fit between the bracket
slot and the archwire.

• The passive SLB has inferior rotational and torque

control.

• Passive SLB systems have responded to this by

developing specific archwire sizes.
 Active SLB

Active SLBs employ a flexible component such as clips to

secure the archwire.

• This gentle action applies a light but constant force to

the tooth and its supporting structures, resulting in an

accurate and controlled movement.

 Interactive SLB

Incorporate both active and passive aspects

0.0185’ 0.022’
’
’
0.028’
’
Round wires

022 X 018

021 X 025
021 X 028
 Dual Action( Hybrid)

Active or interactive mechanisms in the anterior region

and passive mechanisms in the posterior region of the
brackets.
Properties of an
Ideal Ligation
System
 Secure ligation
Full bracket engagement
Low friction
Quick and easy to use
Easy attachment of elastic chain
Oral hygiene
Comfortable

Harradine N. The History and Development of Self-Ligating Brackets. Semin

Limitation of conventional ligation

• Lack of full archwire engagement

• Increased friction

• Force decay

• Oral hygiene is potentially impeded.

• Breakage

• time-consuming clinical procedure.

Advantages of Self-Ligating Brackets

• Faster archwire removal and ligation

• Less or no chairside assistance for ligation

• Secure archwire engagement

• Low friction between bracket and archwire

• Reduced treatment time

Grabers- Orthodontics: Current Principles and Techniques- 7 th Edition

 Faster Archwire Removal and Ligation

• Fourfold reduction in ligation time with SLB compared

with wire ligation of conventional brackets - Voudouris

• Time saving on average of 24 seconds per archwire

removal and replacement - Herradine N
 Low friction

• Friction must be overcome for the majority of tooth

movements to occur.

• Frictional forces arising from the method of ligation

are one source of the resistance to this relative
movement.
Friction per bracket was 41–61 g with conventional
brackets and conventional ligation and 3.6–15 g with
Damon brackets.
Clinically, the low friction is evident from the need with SLB
to place a stop on all archwires.
Secure archwire and low friction as
combination

Loose
Low Reduced
engageme
friction control
nt

Beggs System / Edgewise slot with Shoulder

 Secure archwire and low friction as
combination

Difficulty
Secure
High in tooth
engageme
Friction moveme
nt
nt

Edgwise system with SS ligation

 Secure archwire and low friction as
combination

Secure
Low Complete
engageme
Friction control
nt

Self ligating bracket

Advantage of low friction and full
engagement

• Enables a tooth to slide easily along an

archwire

• lower and more predictable forces

• None of the undesirable rotation of the tooth

• Sliding mechanics to move individual teeth

• Reduces anchorage need

Advantage of low friction and full
engagement

Alignment of severely malaligned tooth in less

time
Treatment
efficiency
 Intial alignment

• Self-ligation systems has become popular for faster

treatment progress especially in the initial stages of
treatment.

• Moderate crowding alleviation was faster with Damon2

brackets (81 days) compared to conventional
appliances (104 days).
• Credited to undisturbed labial movement of the crown or

‘’Free play’’.

• This advantage of self-ligation over conventional ligation is

eliminated when severe crowding and availability of space

within the arch is restricted.

 Canine retraction

• Efficient canine retraction depend on the use of sliding

mechanics.

• Self-ligating systems have been proposed to have lower

frictional forces which facilitate efficient tooth movements
such as sliding of teeth.
 Space closure

● No significant difference in space closure rate with

conventional and self ligating bracket.

Songra G et al. Comparative assessment of alignment efficiency and space closure of active and
passive self-ligating vs conventional appliances in adolescents: a single-center randomized
controlled trial. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2014;145:569–578.
 Dental arch changes

• Conventional and self-ligating brackets alleviate crowding by

lower incisor proclination and slight expansion of the dental
arches.

• The difference in posterior expansion was associated with

differences in the archwire forms and cross-sectional
thicknesses.
Pandis N et al. Self-ligating vs conventional brackets in the treatment of mandibular crowding:
a prospective clinical trial of treatment duration and dental effects. Am J Orthod Dentofacial
 Dental arch changes

• Molar expansion observed with self-ligating brackets is

related to buccal tipping of the molars rather than
bodily movement- Franchi et al.
 Torque control

● Torque of the maxillary incisors is particularly critical in

establishing an esthetic smile line, proper anterior guidance
and a solid Class I relationship.

● Torque control is more difficult with self-ligating brackets.

● Active self-ligating brackets are more efficient in

torque delivery compared to passive self-ligating

brackets.

● Interactive and dual action bracket better for torque

control
Principle
s of SLB
 Hanson
Philosophy
The first SLB that was reliable enough for routine use was the
SPEED bracket designed by Dr G. Herbert Hanson in the early
1970s.
Hanson philosophy for SPEED system was based on the
limitation of the extraction therapy

Overbite increase
Lingual tooth inclination

The need for space closure

Tipping at extraction sites

Rotation into extraction sites

Difficulty in controlling anchorage

Dr Hanson’s treatment philosophy for the SPEED
appliance were

• To treat without extraction.

• Extraction of second premolar when necessary for

prominence of dentition.

• Functional appliances to alter jaw growth patterns

wherever desirable and feasible.

● Expand arches which have failed to develop to their full

potential.

● Intrude upper anterior teeth in patients who exhibit a lot

of gingival tissue.

● No overcorrection of rotated tooth.

● IPR and CSF for retention.

● Intra-oral distalization mechanics instead of headgear.

● Overcorrect class II or class III buccal segment

relationships where a strong relapse tendency is
expected.
 Damon
Philosphy
• Treatment should be planned to optimize facial
appearance.

• Treat non-extraction where biologically possible and

compatible with dental and facial treatment goals.
• Use light forces in order to move teeth with adaptation
of the alveolar bone.

• Use functional appliances to obtain anteroposterior

correction of class II malocclusions.

• Do not use rapid palatal expansion appliances or

headgear.
• Utilize the oral musculature to assist in correction of the

malocclusion.

• Expanding the posterior with light archwires thus allowing the

tongue position to elevate and move forward producing a new

force equilibrium between it and the facial muscles.

 Phases of
treatment with SLB
Treatment can be divided into the following four
phases:

• Alignment

• Transition

• Working

• Finishing
 Phase 1: Alignment

• Alignment is achieved with light round wires.

• Aim is to produce tooth alignment with substantial correction of

rotations, commence arch levelling and start the development of
the final archform.
• The SPEED system also suggests the use of Supercable ( coaxial
Superelastic Niti Wire.

• GAC’s In-Ovation R self-ligating bracket system recommends an

GAC Bioforce initial archwire of 0.018″ × 0.018″ dimensions.
 Phase 2: Transition

This second phase of treatment completes alignment and resolves

remaining rotations, initiates torque control and continues leveling
and archform development.
• These archwires range in dimensions from 0.014″ × 0.025″ to
0.020″ × 0.025″.

• Damon system : 0.014 × 0.025 CuNiTi followed by 0.018 ×

0.025 CuNiTi wires.

• In case of well aligned arches only 0.016 × 0.025 CuNiTi are

used.

• If intrusion of anteriors is planned, 0.017× 0.025 or 0.019×

 Phase 3: Working

• Uses stainless steel archwires to provide the stiffness required for

sliding mechanics.

• The commonest type of archwire used is 0.019″ × 0.025″ stainless

steel.
• SPEED self-ligating system uses dual dimension
archwires for the working archwires.

• In-ovation uses 0.022″ × 0.018″ GAC BioForce

archwire.
 Phase 4: Finishing

• Finishing requires formable archwires to finalize tooth

position.

• 0.019″ × 0.025″ TMA wires are suggested for 0.022″ slots

 Bracket
selection
 Bracket prescription
SLB systems offer different bracket prescriptions to suit different
malocclusions.
 Low torque

● Anterior open bite cases with severe proclination of

upper anteriors.

● Moderate and severe crowding.

● Incisors with palatally positioned roots.

 Low torque

● Gaining arch length with upright incisors

● Lingually placed lower incisors

● Fixed functional appliance

● Lip bumper cases

 Standard Torque

● With mild to moderate crowding or space closure

● Where little change is required in incisor or canine

inclination

● Where limited space closure is required

 High Torque

● Class II Division II incisor relationships

● Extraction cases with incisor retraction

● Mandibular arch lower incisor extraction cases

● First premolar extraction cases

● Decompensation of lower incisors in surgical cases

 Conclusion
● Self ligating brackets provides significant advantage over
conventional system due to its Low friction and secure engagement
characterstics.
● This present seminar was aimed at highlighting the evolution of Self
ligating bracket system over the years.
● Classification of SLB on the basis of the pressure exerted by bracket
onto archwire.
o Passive
o Active
o Interactive
 Conclusion
● Phases of orthodontic treatment with SLB

o Alignment

o Transition

o Working

o Finishing

• Philosophies of Hanson and Damon

• Treatment efficiencies of SLB

 References
● Self Ligation in orthodontics- Elides, Pandis
● Orthodontics- Current Principles and Techniques
● Harradine N. The History and Development of Self-Ligating Brackets. Semin Orthod.
2008; 14(1): 5-18.
● Songra G et al. Comparative assessment of alignment efficiency and space closure of
active and passive self-ligating vs conventional appliances in adolescents: a single-
center randomized controlled trial. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2014;145:569–578.
● Pandis N et al. Self-ligating vs conventional brackets in the treatment of mandibular
crowding: a prospective clinical trial of treatment duration and dental effects. Am J
Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2007; 132(2);208-15.