SELFLIGATING BRACKETS

Selfligating brackets have a clip that holds the archwire in the bracket slot without the need for ligatures (e.g. elastics).

Although not a new thing in orthodontics (different versions have been used since the 1930s), their use has increased in the last fifteen years. Manufacturers have begun to target their intensive advertising not only to orthodontists but also to patients. Marketing campaigns, sponsored posts on social media and online forums, and even fellow orthodontists point out the supposed advantage of self-ligating braces: “expanding” the dental arches while creating new bone, so there is no need for tooth extraction, the expanded dental arches are more stable long-term, self-ligating braces are faster and more efficient, they exert lighter force and reduce friction, the treatment is less painful… And while for most of those claims there is no evidence, a fact published in the leading orthodontic journal (American Journal of Orthodontics, August 2010), what is certain is that due to their mechanical properties, they can reduce chairside time and the total number of visits.