Low-Profile 맞춤형 교정장치를 이용한 교정치료

Orthodontic Treatment Using Low-Profile Customized Orthodontic Brackets

This case report describes a successful orthodontic treatment performed on a 17-year old female who presented with an impacted maxillary left second molar with moderate crowding. After 10 months of observation of the eruption of maxillary left second molar, this tooth was extracted and replacement with erupting third molar was planned. Customized brackets having low profiles were fabricated by designing the brackets to have 2.5 mm interbracket distances on the ideal setup. Wax pattern of the brackets were printed with a 3D printer, and then casted with Nickel Chromium alloy. Brackets were bonded indirectly using transfer jigs modified from Kommon base. Failure of bracket bonding occurred on lower left premolars due to short clinical crown length, and then simple tubes (mini-tube appliance) were bonded instead of the brackets on the lower left premolars. Window opening and orthodontic traction were performed for maxillary left third molar which was erupting with mesial tipping. After the emergence of this tooth, simple tubes were bonded on the maxillary left first and third molars and 0.016″ NiTi wire segment was inserted to align the third molar. Treatment was completed in 16 months. Neither wire bending nor rebonding of brackets was required during treatment. In the present case, the treatment duration might have not been shortened by the use of the customized brackets. However, this case showed the possibility of reducing round trip movement of tooth by minimizing the wire bending or rebonding brackets with the use of customized brackets.