The first months of treatment are dedicated to unraveling the front teeth and gaining symmetrical alignment of the right and left sides of the dental arches by using small diameter, flexible wires. These first wires are made of a nickel-titanium alloy which is very flexible, exerts low force, but is long acting. These wires remain in the braces from one to four months before they complete their job. The time depends on how crowded or out of alignment the teeth are initially. Of primary importance is elimination of any and all rotations.
Rotations have the highest relapse potential.
When there are teeth which are unerupted, it will take time to allow these teeth to erupt and space must be made and maintained to allow normal eruption. The key to gaining alignment in the front of the mouth is to use space which may be naturally available. The permanent bicuspid is smaller than the baby molar which it replaces. This extra space is manipulated with the braces, but sometimes the replacement bicuspid is too large and there is not enough extra space. Next comes leveling of the vertical aspects of the teeth to conform to larger nickel-titanium wires which fully engage the diameter of the slot of the braces.