Designing of Removable

Appliances
 The types of tooth movement
produced by removable appliances
Removable appliances tilt the teeth
producing movement of the crowns. The
apices of the teeth so moved may tend to a
greatest or larger extend to follow the
crowns. Controlled movement of the roots of
the teeth can not easily be achieved with
removable appliances & limitations of removable
appliances techniques must be in mind when
planning treatment.
A limited degree of tooth movement can be
carried out with removable appliances in
certain situations.
The formula:
D x Pl4 / t4

D = Deflection, P = Pressure, L = Length,

T = Thickness
 OR
The formula:
F x Er4 / L3
For a cantilever spring of round section.
It is true within the elastic limit of the
material of which the spring is made.
 DESIGNING OF SPRINGS “L”

It should be made as a rule with a range of

action as long or slightly longer than the
distance over which the tooth is to be
moved.
 THICKNESS OF WIRE “T”

1. Thicker wires  it will be less likely to

damage at the hands of patient.
2. Less likely to become displaced from
their point of appliances.
But They have a short range of action &
require frequent adjustment:
The range of action of thick springs may
be increase by increasing the length of the
spring, so we increase the length of wire
for spring by introducing of coils a use 1
mm thickness due to definite limits of
dental arches and the depth of the buccal
& lingual sulci.
Range of action also by coils at the point of
attachments or half way of attachment of
springs.

The standard gingiva spring of 8 mm wire

usually 20 mm long with one cost of 3-4 mm
distinct can be controlled by means of a
wire or ?? overlying it.
CORREX
 The Simple Cantilever Spring, 1
Direction of Pressure:
C. The longer the arm of a spring
the greater will be its range of
action. A short spring not only
has a short range of action but,
as it moves, its tip describes
an arc of a small circle. As its
length increases so this arc
becomes straightened and its
path of action is nearer to a
straightened and its path of
action is nearer to straight line.
As length increases, so the
spring must be made of thicker
wire to exert the same force.
 The Simple Cantilever Spring, 1
Parts of Spring:

A. A simple cantilever spring

consists of there parts. The tag
is embedded in the acrylic
resin of the supporting base
plate. The coil is the active part
of the spring and is normally
made so that it tends to open,
rather than close, in use. The
arm of the spring undergoes
only slight bending and may be
regarded as a rigid lever.
 Mesial & Distal Movement of
Incisors
Four palatally placed
Finger springs are used :
A. This diagram shows
mesial movement, the
position of the coil of
each spring being
carefully placed to carry
the tooth in the desired
direction. Here the
springs are boxed-in.
 The Simple Cantilever Spring, 1
Direction of Pressure:
B. As friction between the
spring and the tooth can
be ignored, the direction
of pressure will always be
at right angles to the arm
of the spring and, if the
spring has to work over a
long angular range, this
will change considerably
during tooth movement.
The path traced by the tip
of the spring is known as
the Path of Action.
 Mesial & Distal Movement of
Incisors
Four palatally placed finger
springs are used :
B. This diagram shows mesial
movement, but here the path
of movement of the teeth is not
only dictated by the position of
the coils of springs but is
guided by a labial arch and a
palatally placed guide wire
which prevents them
‘wandering’ in an antero
posterior plane. The spring are
not covered by the baseplate.
 Mesial & Distal Movement of
Incisors
Construction

Spring: 0.6mm
Labial arch: 0.7mm
Guide wire: 0.6mm
Clasps: Adams clasps on 6/6
Baseplate: Full palate in A
Full palate cut away in B
 Distal Movement of Canines
Palatally placed cantilever springs are used, their
coils being placed so as to give movement of the
canines along the arch without displacing them
either lingually or buccally.

Insert
To avoid sliding down the mesial slope of the canine the
spring is carefully bent so as to fit between the lateral
incisor and canine and to take advantage of the flat mesial
surface of the tooth. Once movement has begun it can be
modified to fit round the neck of the tooth.
 Distal Movement of Canines
Construction

Spring: 0.7mm boxed-in

Clasps: Adams clasps on 6/6
Baseplate: Full palate
 Premolar Retraction Spring
Two alternative springs are shown, one incorporating a
guide wire and one boxed-in, both moving the first premolar
distally into an extraction space.

Construction
Left side Right side
Springs: 0.6mm 0.6mm with guide wire
boxed-in
Clasps: Adams clasps Admas clasps on 6/6
on 6/6
Baseplate: Full palate Full palate, cut away
to expose spring

Insert
The spring must follow as closely as possible over the contact point.
 The Simple Cantilever Spring

The spring illustrated is moving an upper incisor

‘over the bite’.
The arm of the spring is set at right angles to the
intended path of the tooth to be moved and is left
long so as not to lose contact with the tooth
towards the end of its movement.
The coil is set as far away as possible from the
tooth to be moved.
The tag is short and well within the thickness of the
acrylic.
 The Simple Cantilever Spring

The bite is raised on the cheek teeth either by a

thickness of acrylic resin or, as shown here, by a
single wire passing over the occlusal surfaces of
the cheek teeth. This is used where the thickness
of acrylic capping (see Insert A) would be too little
to stand the bite with out fracture.
Insert B shows the same spring adapted to move
two teeth.
 The Simple Cantilever Spring
Construction

Spring: 0.5mm boxed-in

Retention: Adams clasps on 64/46
Bite-raiser: 1.0mm wire or acrylic
Baseplate: Full palate.
 Labial Movement of Canines

A covered canine spring is difficult for the patient to

insert if any degree of activation is applied in this
appliance (designed by R. Hanney) the spring is
kinked in the middle of the arm and the baseplate
is correspondingly cut away.
The spring thus has the protective advantages of
boxing-in yet the patient can engage the kink with a
fingernail and so compress the spring to facilitate
insertion of the appliance.
 Labial Movement of Canines
Construction

Spring: 0.6mm boxed-in

Clasps: Adams clasps on 6/46
Space-holding clasps on 42/: 0.6mm
Baseplate: Full palate, with cut-away in cover for
spring. Bite platforms where necessary
 Paired Cantilever Spring

Where four incisor are to be moved over the bite,

each spring moves the central and lateral incisor
nearest the end of the spring.

Construction
Springs: 0.5mm boxed-in
Clasps: 0.7mm
Retention: Adams clasps on 64/46
Baseplate: Continued over all cheek teeth as
capping
 Paired Cantilever Spring

Insert A
This lateral view shows boxed-in spring and just
sufficient clearance to allow the upper incisors to
move forward without fouling the lowers.

Insert B
A double cantilever spring may be use as an
alternative for the same tooth movement
(0.6mm wire), but this requires a greater degree of skill in
adjusting.
 Double Cantilever Springs
Forward movement of two upper lateral incisors may be
carried out by means of two small double cantilever springs
which can be used to vary the direction of movement, or
where space for the spring is confined.

Construction
Springs: 0.5mm boxed-in
Clasps: Adams clasps on 64/46
Baseplate: Full palate (capping on cheek teeth if
the lateral incisors must pass over the
bite)
 Double Cantilever Springs

Insert A
Lateral movement is produced by opening the
right-hand coil.

Insert B
Forward movement is produced by opening the
left-hand coil.
 BOXING-IN

The purpose of boxing-in is to protect the spring

from damage and to act as a guide along which the
arm can slide. At the time the spring is constructed
and tacked to the plaster model with wax, it is
covered with a small amount of thin plaster which is
shaped up with a knife, care being taken to note
the following points:
 BOXING-IN
1. It should extend beyond the tip of the spring and should
have a smooth outline.
2. It should have a smooth, flat upper surface right in
between the teeth.
3. It should continue this smooth, flat surface right in
between the teeth.
4. As the teeth move forward so the control exerted by the
capping is lost. It is possible to use instead a guide wire, as
illustrated. This can be advanced as the teeth move by
squeezing the sides with pliers. The guide is made of
0.7mm soft stainless steel wire.
 BOXING-IN

After appropriate protection the plaster is covered

evenly with baseplate wax and processing
completed. A check should then be made to ensure
that the spring has free travel without fouling any
projection of the baseplate.
 Lateral Movement of Canines
Simple cantilever springs are illustrated, the positioning of
the coil being dictated by the direction of tooth movement. Both springs
are uncovered and controlled by guide wires, this facilitating insertion of
the appliance by the patient.

Construction
Springs: 0.6 or 0.7mm
Guide wires: 0.7mm
Clasps: Adams clasps on 6/6
Baseplate: Full palate, cut away to expose springs
& if necessary carrying bite platforms
on all the cheek teeth to allow the
canines to move over the bite
 Elastic Modulus (Stiffness)

Stability ration between stiffness in the direction of

displacement (SDD) and stiffness in the direction of
indented movement i.e. (SDI) so

Stability Ration = SDD / SDI

This is must be greater, or at least 1.

 The Kinked Cantilever Spring
Interference with the movement of the spring by the palatal surface of a
premolar may prevent a simple spring moving a palatally displaced canine into
the arch. This is overcome by kinking the spring, which still behaves as a lever
pivoting on the coil.

Construction
Spring: 0.6 or 0.7mm boxed-in
Clasps: Adma’s clasps on 64/6
Baseplate: Full palate (capping on cheek
teeth if the canine must pass
over the bite.)

Insert
The position of the spring at completion of tooth movement.
 The Labial Canine Retractor

This is one of the few springs in which the coil is

made to close rather than to open in action. The
coil lies in the labial sulcus.

Points to note:
1. The end of spring should be bent at a right angle
before being shaped to the curved of the tooth,
like a golf-club.
 The Labial Canine Retractor

Points to note:
2. The loop should lie as high as possible in the
sulcus without interfering with any fold of soft
tissue commonly found in this area.
3. The tag should lie as close as possible to the
second premolar, and the posterior position
where it would interfere with retraction of the
canine.
 The Labial Canine Retractor

Construction
Spring: 0.7mm wire or 0.6mm
sleeved
Clasps: Adma’s clasps on 6/6
Baseplate: Full palate, cut away to
allow movement of canines
 The Labial Canine Retractor

Insert A
Shows
1. Posterior arm in contact with second premolar and
passing over the contact point of this tooth.
2. Golf-club end of anterior arm, sharpened at tip.

Insert B
Shows
1. Path of action.
2. Clear area behind the canine, unobstructed by the
spring.
 Adjusting the Retractor

1. Increasing the tension

As the coil is in the reverse, direction to that of the
finger spring it cannot be adjusted in the same way.
Increased tension is produced by bending the
anterior arm using ‘hollow-chop’ pliers such as
Marthews or Andresen’s.
A. Position of the plier beaks on the anterior arm.
B. Resultant bend.
 Adjusting the Retractor

2. Lowering the spring on the tooth

C. Position of the plier beaks on the posterior arm.
D. Coil and anterior arm lowered.

3. Raising the coil

E. Position of the plier beaks on the posterior arm.
F. Coil and anterior arm raised. This must be
followed by a downward bend of the anterior
arm as in A and B.
 The Cut-And-Bend Spring

Although the spring requires frequent adjustment, it

can be used where a low labial sulcus prevents the
use of the labial retractor described, yet where a
palatal component of movement is needed. It is
also useful in lower appliances where there is rarely any
depth of sulcus.
The spring may touch the labial surface of the canine for
palatal movement (as on left of illustration) but is well clear
of the tooth anteriorly except where the tip touches the
mesial aspect of the tooth.
 The Cut-And-Bend Spring

To activate the spring the tip is bent back about

1mm. When the tooth has moved by this amount,
1mm is cut off the tip of the spring and the bend
remade so that the shape of the spring is
maintained (Insert B).

Construction
Spring: 0.6mm
Clasps: Adams on 6/6
Baseplate: Full palate
 Palatal Movement of Lateral
Incisors
Individual springs are preferred to a full labial arch which
would foul the central incisors. Each spring is flattered at tip
on an anvil, tapered in the anodic polishing bath and bent to
a golf-club and before adapting it to the tooth. Pressure
should be exerted as near to the tip of the tooth as possible
and the springs are activated with hollow-chop pliers.

Construction
Spring: 0.1mm wire thinned to 0.6mm
andodically
Retention: Adams clasps on 6/6
Baseplate: Full palate, cut away behind 2/2
 The Simple Cantilever Spring, 1
Direction of Pressure:
B. As friction between the
spring and the tooth can
be ignored, the direction
of pressure will always be
at right angles to the arm
of the spring and, if the
spring has to work over a
long angular range, this
will change considerably
during tooth movement.
The path traced by the tip
of the spring is known as
the Path of Action.