Clinical Tips

1. Storing NiTi archwires in the refrigerator or freezer works well also. The wire in cold state is easier to tie in and allows you a little more working time; especially if you wear gloves that will slow heat transfer from the body.

2. Thermal wires can be manipulated slightly in the mouth by either placing an ice cube in the mouth to ease some discomfort or by introducing warm rinses to increase the force a little to possibly speed up tooth movement.

3.In order to make a thermal wire instant soft at point of ligation, one can use small cotton swabs impregnated with water and kept in a frozen state in freezer.

4.The concern about using "V" Bend pliers to simulate a dimpled centerline, is that they cold work the niti where bent. Even though the dimple looks good, you may have stressed the wire enough to cause a weak spot where wire can break.

5.To make a NiTi wire permanently soft for cinching etc., anneal the section of the wire that you would like soft over a flame until red-hot. The wire is now dead soft in the selected area and will not return to its original shape when bent. Please note that the annealed section of the archwire will bend very easily.

6.If you would like to test a piece of thermal wire or you just want to see how this stuff works, try the following:
a) Obtain  two  glasses , fill one  with  cold  water  ( 60 degrees For less )  and  the other  with  hot  water  ( about 100
degrees F).

b) Place the martensitic wire in the cold water for a few seconds and then pull the ends of the wire together until you have produced approx. a 90 degree bend. Feel how soft that wire is!

c) Now place the bent section of the wire into the hot water and see what happens!