A hybrid straightwire technique

An original straightwire appliance was developed in order to easily adapt force and friction to the different stages and needs of treatment. The appliance features: (1) conventional brackets with a 0.020×0.030″ slot in the anterior area, passive self-ligating brackets with a 0.022×0.030″ slot in the lateral area, and tubes with a 0.022×0.030″ slot in the molar area; (2) archwires which adapt to the different stages of treatment and increase their section and stiffness progressively, starting with 0.014″ superelastic NiTi, passing through 0.016×0.025″ and 0.019×0.025″ heat-activated NiTi and reaching 0.019×0.025″ stainless steel working archwires; (3) use of several ligation systems which progressively increase their binding (low-friction ligatures, "O"- or "8"-shape elastomeric ligatures). Clinical cases are shown to illustrate the technique.