The Translucent Wire for Orthodontics from BioMers Products
What is Clear Wire?
Clear Wire is a translucent orthodontic wire made by BioMers Products. Like any other arch wire it applies force to effect tooth movement. However, unlike traditional arch wires that are made of metal alloys, the Clear Wire is made of materials that are translucent in appearance. Therefore, it naturally blends with your tooth enamel resulting in a complete aesthetic appearance when worn with aesthetic brackets made of either plastic or ceramic materials. The Clear Wire is available from select distributors and under a variety of names including OPTIS™ (TP Orthodontics), Illusion™ (DynaFlex), Bai Mo (Anderson), Translucent Arch Wire (BioMers Products), etc. Click here for a complete listing of the distributors and names assigned to the wire. Although the trade names may differ, all are the same wire.
When choosing an aesthetic bracket system with your doctor preference should be given for ones without metal components. Otherwise, the aesthetics of the Clear Wire will be compromised. Your doctor will be able to advise what bracket system is best suited for you.
Similar to other braces systems when undergoing treatment with the clear braces extra care needs to be shown when cleaning. Otherwise, tooth decay and gum disease may occur. Therefore, frequent cleaning needs to be undertaken. Furthermore, since the braces are adhered to your teeth they can come off or break if one consumes or chews on hard or sticky foods. This is especially so when wearing clear braces. A patient care and maintenance guide is available for download that provides helpful tips and strategies. Click here to download the leaflet.
| Clear Braces | Partial Aesthetic Braces | Metal Braces | Invisalign® | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How does it work? | Uses Clear Wires and aesthetic brackets to straighten teeth | Uses metal wires and aesthetic brackets to straighten teeth | Uses metal wires and metal brackets to straighten teeth | Uses a series of clear aligners to straighten teeth |
| Aesthetic | Yes, fully aesthetic | Partially aesthetic, but still noticeable | No, metal braces are very noticeable | Yes, fully aesthetic |
| Nickel allergy | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Clinically effective* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, but limited |
| Removal during treatment | No | No | No | Yes |
| Susceptible to misfitting appliances | No | No | No | Yes, if one losses or damages an aligner future aligners will not fit unless a replacement is made |
Note: *Pertains to movement in the vertical dimension and rotation of premolars and canines.
Clear Wire is available only in round profile. This limits the wire to mainly the initial phase of orthodontic treatment. Round wires can also be used in the final phase of orthodontic treatment but this is dependent on your treatment plan. A rectangular wire is most commonly used in the middle phase of orthodontic treatment. You should speak to your doctor to learn more about the use of round versus rectangular arch wires. Please note that the rectangular Clear Wire will become available in mid-2010.
Clear Wire can also be applied at the end of orthodontic treatment. Rather than use a traditional acrylic retainer to retain your teeth in their ideal position, the Clear Wire retainer can be requested from your doctor. In the retainer format, the Clear Wire is named the ASTICS® retainer. The difference between a traditional and ASTICS retainer is the replacement of the front metal wire for a larger gauge Clear Wire. If your arch is long enough the Clear Wire in the retainer may be extended to begin from the premolar region, which will improve the aesthetics of the ASTICS retainer. Click here to download an example of it being used from premolar to premolar position.
