OJW (a capsular view)

Preparation of the teeth for the placement of  brackets for (OJW) orthodontic jaw wiring  is identical to the preparation done for braces. Unlike the placement of braces for full orthodontic treatment, the brackets are placed only on the canines and first and second premolars.
The pattern of wiring you see here is INCORRECT. Upon seeing this photo I realized the error and notified the patient to return to the office for rewiring.

December 12, 2003
    AF returned with brackets 29, 28  and 6 and 11 ( the upper right and left canines) off.  She had removed 6 and 11 with pliars because they were unsightly to her. I offered to replace them with clear brackets, but she refused that option. I told her it was unacceptable/inadvisable to have only two brackets in each arch. I decided to bond brackets to the upper and lower, right and left first molars as far forward as possible and then rewired her. She accepted that refinement willingly. It is an option that the doctor can offer patients, however, it does become more difficult for the patient to rewire themselves if needed.

 Here you see the left side of the same patient. When I saw how the wire passed across the bracket on the lower front canine (LL3), I saw the potential for the wire to slip off...all the more reason for her return to have the bracket repositioned lower toward the gums.
Post Script:

AF wrote a note (see her treatment chart) indicating her need to be shown how to rewire herself and explained  why. In general orthodontists often have to train their patients to do "their homework" which frequently  requires training them to put on/attach complex devices to their teeth. Training a person to put on ligature  wires themselves is not difficult. Most learn with  a  little practice and friends can help to. Its very psychological the patients who would choose OJW are just as demanding/quirky a group as your private orthodontic patients of a similar age.

Post post script:

Providers of this OJW service are rare, be they orthodontists, dentists or oral surgeons. Never before now has anyone established/created  a protocol for providing this service. Naturally, would-be providers are concerned with legal and liability issues.  In addition some studies would be useful such as the  short and long term effects of limiting the motion of the jaw joints (TMJ).  I have had a few OJW patients say that they were first  wired by an oral surgeon because of trauma and it was then that they realized the potential of this method to control their weight.