Quote:
>Thanks Allen!
>> Hi Gina,
>> The retainer is called a Zackerson. It is meant to be on for life.
>> Allen
>> > Hi guys! For those who don't know me I am an assistant in a general
>> > practice in Canada. I have a question. Should a bonded lingual retaining
>> > wire be left on permanently? What if it has been years since the braces
>> > have come off and the gums are inflamed around the wire? Thanks in
>> > advance for any answers or opinions.....even yours Joel and Jandrew!
>> > Joking.....
I'm going to guess the retainer is called a Zachrisson after Bjorn Zachrisson
of Olso, Norway. Bjorn is a big believer in long term fixed retention as a way
to prevent relapse. I'm going to guess that if the tissue is greatly inflammed
due to the retainer, it was not placed in the "style of Zachrisson."
Suggestions for all of you out there
1. perio takes precedence over ortho. take the retainer off if the original
ortho can't be located
2. the teeth will almost certainly move if unretained. just as your face
changes with age, the teeth change in response to those {*filter*} changes. no
case is perfectly stable
3. therefore, the patient should be given the choice of removable retention
(clear see through are easiest and best in a case like this) or no retention
with the patient taking responsibility.
4. if after the tissues have improved, he might be given a choice of going back
to fixed retention if removables are not his or her first choice
5. finally, the movement that occurs long term is at least partially due to
loss of arch length with time. so you can at least partially treat this type
of arch length loss by using an ultra thin diamond wheel to strip the contacts
from canine to canine as a way to prevent future movement without or in
addition to further retention. I do this on virtually all of my patients if
they ever choose to have their retainers removed.
Charlie Ruff, DMD
Specialist in Orthodontics
Diplomate American Board of Orthodontics
Ortho Question??????