ligature wire

ligature wire

Etymology: L, ligare, to bind; AS, wir

a soft, thin wire used in dental procedures, particularly to connect brackets or attachments on orthodontic appliances.

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wire,

n slender and pliable rod or thread of metal.

wire, arch,

n wire used in orthodontics as a source of force to direct teeth to move in desired directions. The wire may be described according to the shape of its cross-section, such as ribbon, rectangular, or round.

wire, diagnostic,

n See wire, measuring.

wire edge,

n a thin, rough ridge created by particles that have been rearranged during hand instrument sharpening and appear on the surface adjoining the cutting edge.

wire, internal suspension,

n one of a network of wires placed inside the oral cavity connecting the zygoma and mandibular arch bar, which are used to immobilize the maxillary arch for healing after a LeFort I fracture. See also fracture, LeFort.

wire, Kirschner,

n.pr a surgical steel wire of heavy gauge with pointed ends; used in the reduction and fixation of bone fragments by passing it through the cancellous portion of the bone and spanning the fracture site.

wire, ligature,

n a soft, thin wire used to tie an arch wire to the band attachments.

wire, measuring,

n a wire or other similar metal placed in a root canal to determine the length of the canal. A radiogram is used to make the determination.

wire, orthodontic,

n stainless steel and wrought gold wire of various dimensions used in orthodontic treatment.

wire, Risdon

n.pr a wire arch bar tied in the midline.

wire, separating,

n wire threaded interproximally between two adjacent teeth and tightened by twisting the ends together to wedge the teeth slightly apart. Separating wire is used in preparation to adapt bands to teeth having tight contacts with adjacent teeth.

wire, transosseous

n a thin, flexible thread of metal that is laced through a hole drilled into the bone to bridge a fracture line and stabilize bone fragments. See also wire, Kirschner and wiring, perialveolar.

wire, wrought,

n 1. a wire formed by drawing a cast structure through a die; used in dentistry for partial denture clasps and orthodontic appliances.
n 2. a form of metal resulting from the swaging, rolling, and drawing of a metal ingot into a desired shape and size.