Metal Mouth Message Board

I'm on my 3rd archwire on top, 2nd on bottom. And I'm wondering how many archwires there are.

My top started with a 14, now 18, which I think is .18 gauge??

My bottom (archwire, that is ) started with a 14, now 16.

He moves the wire from the top and puts it on the bottom, putting a heavier wire on top.

I've heard some talk about rectangular wires--what gauge are they?

Does everyone end up at the same gauge wire?

Hello,

I think 18 is about the highest that most people get. I have a 20 right now, but that is a surgical weight wire. Once I'm a bit more healed from surgery, and am not banded so heavily from surgery, I will probably go back to a slightly lighter wire.

I also think (but I'm no expert!) that if you need elastics, you will probably get a heavier weight wire, so the elastics pulling on your brackets don't pull the wire out of shape.

As for rectangular wires, I think they also come in different guages like regular wires do.

I could be wrong, but that's how I understand things.

peanut

Hi,
I currently have my finishing wires on. They are 16x22 multibrade (sp?) stainless steel wire this is a down grade from the last wire I had. If you want to know more about my braces story just look at My Story, I have the details of what wires I got there.

currently I have a size 18 on top and an edgewise on the bottom, which is gigantic, I'm not sure what size but that thing is massive. I go in for an appt next Wednesday and I get an edgewise on top as well...

Hi I currently have 18x22 edgewise wires on both my top and bottom. I've had the top for about 2 1/2 months and the bottom for about 3 weeks, they are really big wires and take some getting used to but Im told these will be my last wires, who knows
Leah

Hmm...I had to sneak a peek at my chart last time, but I think I have a 22 on the bottom and a braided wire (about the same strength as my first really skinny archwire).

ive just had an adjustment today.ortho didnt do anything just a glance around that was it.
she did mention to me though that on my next appoiment i will move up to a 20x20 wire all this talk of size of wires is over my head so whats a 20x20 wire when its at home?

I have an 18 in right now and the assistant said I have one more bigger wire to graduate to. Mine is rectangular. Pretty much felt like they ran out and snipped a section of barbed wire off a fence and jammed it in there. It's huge. Can't wait for the next one.

Not that my ortho tells me any of these details - I instead pick them up when he is barking out orders to his assistants. I believe I have a 12 on the bottom and a 14 on the top

Am I the only one whose ortho never tells them anything about the size wire they're putting on or anything?

alexa wrote:Am I the only one whose ortho never tells them anything about the size wire they're putting on or anything?

nope, i have no clue what my wires are, but all i know is that they're pretty thin, not big at all.

I have no idea what size wire I've got in now... but I do know that next time I'm getting 0.18 NiTi wires.

Is this a good thing? I wish my ortho told me more.

You can measure your wire yourself if you do not know or were not told. You need a set of machinest calipers. Just measure the wire diameter between two teeth if it is round. If it is square you have to measure two sides. The 12/14/18/20 refers to the size in thousandts of an inch. a 12 is .012". I have 12 on top and 14 on bottom. So my top measures .012" and the bottom measures .014". There are different wire materials also. Steel, heat treated steel, NiTi titianum nickel and spring steel. A smaller spring steel may be stronger or do different things than a larger steel. Some also last longer than others.

I have 18 on the top - have had the same wire sine April there.

On the bottom I have a 16 "levelling" wire. I'm getting an 18 down there at my next adjustment.

I have a 24 on the top and a 20 on the bottom. The top is a square finishing wire and it was tight before the ligs were put on. I am not looking forward to the wire on the bottom as my bottom teeth are more sensitive.