Orthodontic pliers bend wires, place and remove bands and brackets, and cut wires and ligatures. A typical orthodontic practice uses a dozen or more patterns. Here are the essentials.
Wire bending pliers
Bird beak (139) pliers
One round and one pyramidal beak. Used for bending loops and clasps in round wire.
Three-prong pliers
Two prongs on one beak and one on the other. Used to make sharp bends in wire and adjust clasps.
Tweed loop pliers
Round, stepped beaks for forming loops of consistent size in rectangular wire.
Placement pliers
Weingart utility pliers
Fine, serrated, tapered beaks for placing and removing archwires and guiding them into brackets. One of the most-used orthodontic instruments.
How pliers
Straight or curved, with rounded pads; used to place and remove ligatures and archwires.
Cutters
Distal end cutters
Cut and hold the distal end of the archwire inside the mouth, so the cut piece does not fall into the mouth.
Ligature cutters
Fine, sharp tips for cutting ligature wires close to the bracket.
Hard wire cutters
For cutting heavier wires outside the mouth.
Removal pliers
- Bracket removing pliers — remove brackets at the end of treatment.
- Band removing pliers — remove molar bands.
What to look for
- Beaks that meet precisely along their length.
- Tungsten carbide cutting edges on cutters for longer life.
- Smooth, box-joint construction that resists loosening.
Care
Lubricate joints after sterilisation and never use cutters on wires heavier than they are rated for.
See the Aurix Orthodontic Wire Control System for a coordinated set of orthodontic instruments.
