spring aligner

[labdude]

Start to finish. Important part is the overlap of wires for strength. Also the reinforcement wire located on the lingual of the anterior teeth. Some photos make work look a little out of wack. (use of glue on anterior labial)
Got questions?? ask.

[labdude]

pics only.
S&P Spring Aligner & regular lower/video

[trisha]

Nice labdude! I like making spring retainers

[TheLabGuy]

Okay, i'm bound to learn something here, what are spring retainers used for......particularly in this case? Are you trying to push out the lower mandibular's labially for more room? <<<<that's my best guess from the pictures........lol

[labdude]

Hi Rob,
A spring aligner does just that. We reset the anterior teeth as asked for, or required, then make the appliance to the reset. Sometimes we reset 6 anteriors, usually 4. Applince is active, drs. will close the half loops some to increase the force and retention. These guys don't fit real well at first sometimes. After a period of "slight discomfort" all are lined up where they belong.
As for creating room, sometimes. Sometimes the teeth are stripped mesial and or distal to allow space for the teeth to move into. Quite often without this, there wouldn't be room.
When it comes to Ceramics, crown and bridge stuff, I'm not even functionally illiterate. I could be called specially able. I have enough trouble trying spell correctly as it is.

Hi Trisha,
Do you make about the same type?? Or a Inman type?? Some are made with a lingual bar in place of acrylic in the anterior, both upper and lower.

[trisha]

Hey Labdude~
I make mine just like yours except I have one dr. that likes his 5-5, so there are no clasps, another likes a lingual bar w/ rest on 6's. On uppers I usually like to use adams clasps on 6's.

[precisionortho]

Hi all, here is how I make my springers. This is the only picture I have right now, but more will follow. The active part is a pre-formed wire I get from Wehmer. You can see where I block out the acrylic along the midline. The labial bow, which has acrylic on it, and the .036" lingual wire are what hold the left and right side of the retainer together. The spring also does this but it's primary purpose is to apply force to the misaligned teeth. There will also be a pad of acrylic on the lingual section of the anterior teeth. I gain retention with a ball clasp mesial to the molars. I will take some more pictures the next time I fabricate one.

[labdude]

Nice work Dave.
I have made this design as well. Drs preference if they want it. I charge a little more for this type, they are a little more tedious to make sometimes.
That lingual spring, you could make it yourself out of 028 wire. Less problem with space to fit it in.
My difference is only there in that spring and the lingual bar portion, I use 051 for the bar. The 036 will work just fine.
Beer time!
Mike.

[trisha]

The active part is a pre-formed wire I get from Wehmer.

I did not realize you could by preformed wires for the lingual spring?

[labdude]

Yup.
OSE sells them. They call it a mushroom spring in their catalogue.

[precisionortho]

I get the wires from wehmer.com, they are order code 16370 and 16371. They make one for the upper and one for the lower.

[labdude]

Wehmer wires are different from OSE mushroom sprin. Wehmer has a coil in it.
Still, at 10 for 55 dollars, I'm a build it yourself type. The more of them you make, the quicker you become.

[trisha]

Still, at 10 for 55 dollars, I'm a build it yourself type

I enjoy bending the wires and like to build my own also. I do cheat and use pre-formed adams clasp. I will send some photos to share soon.

[JohnWilson]

We use helix coils or rogers loops for our active retainers. Depends on the space.

How many of you dup the master model prior to cutting/resetting the teeth?

I have found that fitting the retainer back to the master model will teach you a bunch about how your springs should function. Nothing is worse than resetting a bunch of teeth that the Dr has to strip contacts on only to find there is little or no chance of getting the retainer in the mouth.

We have added this step to all our ortho appliances. I have always chuckle when I see other techs retainer cases that are sent back with a model that is totally destroyed from fast and sloppy salt and peppering. Presenting the retainer with a pristine model is what we try to do in my lab. The extra labor to fab this model/check the fit of the appliance sure saves the doc time on the delivery.

Do more to charge more to make more. Say that over and over today!!!

[labdude]

Hi John,
I used to dup models. Don't find it is required now, I do all the work on all the cases. In the past we gave it up as well, Orthodontists didn't want it in about 9 out of 10. Those that did, got it. We always give thme exactly what they want.
True alignment of reset teeth needs to allow for reality.
About 1 in 30 cases for spring aligners I do now come from a General dentist.
These few cases quite often are asking more than can be done with a single appliance, even a Inman aligner. In those cases, a truly good result really needs more treatment than a spring alingner allows for. They are an inexpensive alternative for people who can't or don't want to spend the money for ortho treatment.
For the spring aligners I make for ortho offices,the reset is slight in comparison. Less of an appliance, than a tooth positioner, for finish work.
Salt and pepper sloppy??? Every case I do is free of porosity and defect. Of 35 offices I work for, 5 want their models returned. To do dups of all would increase costs and lower profit for something that gets tossed immediately on return. Not to mention added cost for shipping the extra weight.
It is all in the final product quality that counts. More song and dance, is more song and dance.

[JohnWilson]

Sorry if I offended you, I was not pointing a finger at you or your lab as I have never seen your work. I was being very general in nature based on my observations. If you are waxing out undercuts and do a perfect job the model won't break right? In the real world models break, acrylic is over extended pontics don't draw perfectly. A dup model will solve all of these issues.

If your clients or any client for that matter takes more than 5 minutes to deliver a retainer then something is wrong. I just choose to cover all my bases as I am certainly prone to not getting every undercut perfectly blocked out.

It is just how we do things, not that its the only way just the way I choose to do it.

As for the idea that we can blatantly move teeth with a spring retainer your right, it has to be with in reason. Some times it takes two appliances to get the teeth where they are desired.

As for cost, being that I run a full service lab and ortho appliances are the smallest part of my business I charge a premium to handle these cases.

A spring retainer done the way I outlined with 4 reset teeth with dup models is $135. Standard Hawley retainer $55 Wrap around $85. So you see I am not worried about making a dup.

[labdude]

Chair time is a major issue. Dr. spends time adjusting to fit appliances... your history for sure.
Undercuts...yup....standard procedure. Work models getting broken isn't a real issue for us. The appliance fit, function, and quality of finish has proven to be the major concern for us. Of the doctors that we return models to, if there is a lost appliance to be re made, they don't have the darned thing anyway, they toss them when they up pack the appliances. But, these few guys still want them back. Habit I guess.
I do realize as you said you are full service. Labs that are full service generally do charge more for ortho. I have no problem with that or yourself.

I have a problem with "busy work". Excessive scheduling in the lab, excessive paper work, etc. Not that I want to "cut corners".
If a doctor did want a dup model I'd make it, but, I'd rather do another appliance with that time.
If you haven't seen my price list, it's at mo.winvoice.com. Login as mckenzie ortho, password, nobody.

You charge for each tooth that you reset??? Or is it included in the price? We charge per tooth, and different charge for different clasping, or 3x3 or 4x4 aligner.

I am here to try and lighten the work load, and keep the quality up for anyone interested. Ask away.... or tell me my ideas "blow", it's o.k. with me.

[labdude]

What part of So. Cal are you located in John??

[trisha]

Hi John~ I have thought of doing this but never took the time to make a dup. It really is a good idea. On a spring retainer I inevitably break the teeth. So far no compaints but still it is a good idea to dup. Just like labdude another step that would slow me down. Of the 2 offices that I worked at as a tech. I never heard the doctor make any comments on the returned model after fabrication, they usually don't even see the model, they toss it. I really like for them to check the model if the retainer does not fit in the pts. mouth and fits the model, then we know it is the impression, if not it would probably be at my end.

I think having worked as an ortho tech. has helped me to realize that you can only tweek a tooth a couple of mm.

Lab dude~ I charge per tooth reset $2.50