Industry Insider: Why are Ixion Aligner Pliers the Right Tools for the Job?
How can Ixion Aligner Pliers reduce the need for further refinements during clear aligner treatment? As the popularity in clear aligners continues to grow, more orthodontists are discovering why aligner pliers are a must have in the practice. In this blog, we answer the key questions orthodontists are asking ...
What should orthodontists know about the Ixion instrument line?
Ixion aligner pliers are elegant, streamlined, and are perfect for use with any aligner system. All clinicians can enjoy the trademark comfort, streamline design and precision engineering Ixion offers in a beautifully simple yet effective aligner plier instrument.
Ixion aligner pliers are especially versatile as they feature narrow tips for easier access into narrow incisal areas; particularly lower anterior aligners.
What role does a Torque Aligner Plier play?
The Torque Aligner plier handles perfectly the material flexibility at the gingival margins, where achieving torque sometimes may be challenging. It creates a horizontal indentation of 0.75 mm by 1.5 mm and creates a force point for individual lingual or labial root torque, depending on where the indentation is placed. In addition, force application at the gingival margin can assist in the retention of aligners and retainers.
What is the benefit of having a Rotation Plier?
Rotational control with aligners can often prove challenging due to the lack of surface contact area between aligner and tooth, particularly on laterals. The Rotation plier creates a vertical indentation and force point of 0.75 mm by 1.5 mm on the tooth surface to ease the rotational movement.
How is a Retention Plier essential?
A Retention Plier is used on the gingival margin at the interdental papilla to create a circular indentation of 1 mm for increased retention of aligners and retainers. This may be an essential requirement for teeth with short clinical crowns, and for flat buccal and lingual surfaces where retention is challenging.
What is the Hole Punch Plier's function?
Often used alongside tear-drop hooks for elastics, the Hole Punch Plier creates a half-circle cut-out in the aligner to give clearance for bonded buttons, tubes or brackets with hooks for elastics. It can also be used to remove excess material to prevent tissue irritation at the incisive papilla or along the gingival margin.
What makes theTear-drop Plier useful?
The Tear Drop Plier assists in the treatment of Class II and IIIs, space closure, extrusion, intrusion of posteriors, and the hook eliminates the difficult task of having to hook elastic in two places whilst in the mouth. Create a cut at the gingival margin, anywhere along the arch – buccally, labially or lingually - to hold elastics in place whilst the patient places the aligner.
How important are the right aligner pliers for clear aligner treatment?
The popularity of clear aligner treatments continues to grow as more patients than ever are favouring the aesthetic option over brackets. Along the way, even in the simpler cases, sometimes things don’t go as planned, and during the final assessment treatment stage, the usual suspects such as incomplete rotations, unexpected alignment, insufficient arch expansion, or Interproximal Reduction (IPR) can make an appearance.
In cases requiring a minor change, aligner pliers may offer a simple and convenient solution. Minimising the need for further impressions, lab time, or appointments, aligner pliers are perfect for rotations, minor tipping (torque) movements, buccal/lingual movements, extra retention on aligners and retainers where the patient has short clinical crowns, and when flat buccal and lingual surfaces are present.
For more information, to buy or for a practice visit call DB Orthodontics 01535 656999, visit dbortho.com or email sales@dbortho.com.