The Biomechanics of Canine Retraction

With Arch Wire Guidance

Robert J. Nikolai

An often required segment of active orthodontic therapy is the distal dis-

placement of canine teeth. The appliance used may include a continuous
arch wire to influence the displacement path and orientation of the canine
during tooth movement. If the distal driving force of the appliance mechan-
ics is delivered adjacent to the facial crown surface, the mechanical moment
of that force has two dental reference-frame components, representing
tendencies to distal crown tip and distolingually rotate the canine. Both
rotations are often unwanted, and the latter may be substantially sup-
pressed by partitioning the driving force faciolingually. An important addi-
tional challenge is the maintenance of appropriate intraoral anchorage. The
focus of this article is the orthodontic displacement of the canine as viewed
from a facial perspective. A plane analysis is undertaken that must neces-
sarily consider the mechanics of the appliance action and the biomechanics
of the periodontal response. An objective is to revisit several thought-
provoking clinical questions. The principal inquiry is into the form of the
displacement in the sagittal plane throughout the time period of this phase
of orthodontic therapy. (Semin Orthod 2001;7:182-190.) Copyright 2001 by
W.B. Saunders Company

t the start of canine retraction mechanics,
A significant space exists distal to the canine;
perhaps the first premolar has been extracted.
Initially, here, the canine is assumed to be ide-
ally oriented; that is, the tooth is not impacted, it
is not tipped or rotated, and its root is not
against the facial or lingual cortical plate. In this
instance, the chosen appliance mechanics in-
clude dividing the total distal driving force be-
tween the facial and lingual crown surfaces to
eliminate the possibility of significant long-axis
rotation of the canine during displacement.
From an occlusal perspective, because of the
curvature of the dental arch, the crown center
From the Graduate Program in Orthodontics, Centerfor Ad-
vanced Dental Education, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO.
Address correspondence to Robert J. Nikolai, PhD, Graduate
Program in Orthodontics, Centerfor Advanced Dental Education,
Saint Louis University, 2075 Dreiling-MarshaU Hall, 3320 Rutger
Street, St. Louis, MO 63104.
Copyright 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company
1073-8746/01/0703-0006535.00/0
doi:l O.1053/sodo. 2001.26693
point is to follow a curvilinear path, but the
initial conditions imposed enable the reasonably
valid use of a two-dimensional model to analyze
the biomechanics. The appliance c o m p o n e n t
providing the distal driving force is to be a
spring or an elastomeric element (eg, the latter
a module, chain, o-ring, or tied thread). This
assumption is made simply to imply that the
driving force magnitude, while the c o m p o n e n t
is in place, will decrease--as typically occurs in
the clinical setting--with distal m o v e m e n t of the
canine crown center relative to a posterior den-
tal unit. A continuous arch wire engages crown
attachments affixed to the facial surfaces of the
teeth. In particular, the wire within an orthodon-
tic bracket attached to the canine crown and
supported at neighboring posterior and perhaps
anterior dental sites is intended to guide the
tooth during its distal displacement.
O r t h o d o n t i c tooth m o v e m e n t occurs as a re-
sult of mechanical force exerted on the crown
and maintained there over some finite period
o f time. This force is transmitted internally

182 Seminars in Orthodontics, Vol 7, No 3 (September), 2001: pp 182-190

 Canine-Retraction Biomechanics
t h r o u g h tile tooth, delivered by the root(s) to
the periodontium, and r e m o d e l i n g results f r o m
the superposition of that force (carried into the
ligament and underlying bone) on the ongoing
physiologic processes there. Substantial evi-
dence exists to relate two of three characteristics
of crown-delivered force and the displacement
f o r m a t of the tooth. More than 30 years ago,
Merrifield and Cross 1 emphasized the relation-
ship of concentrated force direction to the de-
sired displacement. T h e i m p o r t a n c e of the loca-
tion of the line of the force to the resulting
displacement is implied by the wide acceptance
of the concept of the center of resistance of a
tooth, z O r t h o d o n t i c researchers, though, have
b e e n engaged in a long-term inquiry toward un-
derstanding the relationship of delivered force
magnitude, that magnitude as some function of
time, and the resulting displacement rate. Rela-
tively few controlled clinical studies of tooth
m o v e m e n t in h u m a n s have b e e n r e p o r t e d in the
literature, 3-s and the outcomes have b e e n gener-
ally inconclusive toward establishment of an ac-
ceptable m o d e l (that would include force mag-
nitudes) beyond the three-stage framework
p r o p o s e d by Reitan. 9 In recent years, m u c h of
the tooth m o v e m e n t research has b e e n con-
ducted on the cellular level, and these studies
have primarily c o n c e n t r a t e d on e n h a n c e m e n t s
to displacement rate and the widespead concern
for root resorption. 1-14
The activated orthodontic appliance will gen-
erally make a two-part mechanical delivery to the
canine crown. A resultant, distally directed force
will be exerted at the occlusoapical level of the
crown center. T h e appliance c o m p o n e n t ( s ) gen-
erating this force will, individually, be oriented
and activated mesiodistally to achieve the de-
sired force direction. T h e arch wire assumedly
engages a canine edgewise bracket. If and when
this wire fully contacts the edgewise slot, that
contact will be split between diagonally opposite
slot edges, p r o d u c i n g two-point contact f r o m a
facial perspective, and the wire will exert a pair
of parallel, equal in magnitude, noncollinear
forces to f o r m a mechanical couple. (The two
forces will be of the same m a g n i t u d e if the wire,
because of its occlusoapical location and that of
the bracket, generates no net potential to ex-
trude or intrude the tooth.) The couple will be
in the faciolingual plane; the direction of its
183
displacement potential would be the same,
whether delivered adjacent to the facial or to the
lingual surface of the crown. Consider a right
maxillary canine viewed f r o m the facial perspec-
tive. T h e general, crown-delivered force system
consists of a distally directed, concentrated
force, having a clockwise mechanical m o m e n t
a b o u t the center of resistance of the canine, and
a mechanical couple with an i n h e r e n t counter-
clockwise m o m e n t viewed f r o m the facial per-
spective. Because the mechanical m o m e n t of the
driving force represents a tendency for distal
crown tipping, the m o m e n t of the couple, hav-
ing the opposite sense, is typically described as
countertipping.
The p r o b l e m at h a n d is biomechanical, but
the basic laws of Newtonian mechanics apply to
the essentially n o n d e f o r m a h l e canine. For this
part of the analysis, consider the tooth as iso-
lated f r o m b o t h the appliance and the periodon-
tium. T h e mechanical action is delivered to the
crown (by the appliance) and consists of a force
and a couple. To partially characterize the an-
ticipated displacement, a mechanically equiva-
lent action, referenced to the center of resis-
tance (cre), may be determined. T h a t equivalent
action generally consists of a force at the cre, the
force having the same magnitude and distal di-
rection as the dri~dng force, and a couple that in
part compensates for the change in rotational
potential associated with relocating the force.
The equivalent action could be a force alone or
a couple alone, though, d e p e n d i n g on the given
couple-force ratio at the crown center level, the
force direction r e f e r e n c e d to that of the long
axis of the canine, and the occlusoapical dis-
tance f r o m the crown center point to the center
of resistance. This equivalent action is obtained
because the direction of the force c o m p o n e n t
will be the direction of the displacement of the
cre and the plane, and the sense of the couple
will predict the direction of the rotation of the
tooth as a wholeY
A mechanical response to the crown action
is exerted on the tooth root (by the perio-
dontium). During active orthodontic treatment,
because the tooth moves so slowly, its inertia is
negligible. As a result, the mechanical response
against the root is almost exactly equal in mag-
nitude, but opposite in direction/sense, to the
action f r o m the appliance. This response is ac-
184 RobertJ. Nikolai
d o
Fp
Cp
a activation and for some time period thereafter,
Figure 1. Canine in the ideal start position at the
instant the distal driving force (Fa) is delivered. The
resultant response in the form of a force (Fp) and a
couple (Cp) is referenced to the center of resistance
of the tooth.
tually distributed over m u c h of the root sur-
f a c e - t h a t which is contacting the periodontal
ligament and the free gingiva, but it is mechan-
ically equivalent for the p r o b l e m at h a n d of a
single force and a couple that may be referenced
to the canine's center of resistance. (In general,
inertia has two c o m p o n e n t s , one translational
and the other rotational. In the absence of sig-
nificant inertia, the action a n d responsive force
systems virtually balance one another. If b o t h
force systems are r e f e r e n c e d to the cre of the
canine, then essentially the paired c o m p a r a b l e
c o m p o n e n t s are mechanical opposites of one
another.) Accordingly, characteristics of the ex-
pected displacement of the canine, indicated
earlier, may be related to the opposites of the
associated characteristics of the responsive force
system. Also relevant h e r e is the application of
the general action-reaction law of mechanics at
the contacting interface of the root and peri-
odontium. T h e p e r i o d o n t i u m with its response
against the root attempts to prevent tooth move-
ment. Also existing is an equal and opposite
distributed force system exerted by the root on
the p e r i o d o n t i u m , a n d it is this force system
that, when m a i n t a i n e d over time, catalyzes peri-
odontal r e m o d e l i n g that permits orthodontic
tooth m o v e m e n t .
Force-Displacement Relationships
T h e retraction process as envisioned begins with
the canine in ideal orientation. If the canine
bracket is conventional (ie, not preangulated)
and properly positioned on the facial surface,
a n d if no occlusogingival bends are placed in the
arch wire, before the distal driving force is acti-
vated the engaged wire exerts no force on the
bracket slot. If, in addition, some occlusogingi-
val clearance between slot and wire exists, at
no slot-wire contact will be present. Figure 1
depicts a right maxillary canine at activation and
before any displacement has occurred. Orthog-
onal distal (d) and occlusal (o) dental reference-
frame axes are indicated. With no wire-slot con-
tact, the distal driving force (magnitude Fa;
where a indicates from the auxiliau) is the sole
action c o m p o n e n t . T h e resultant of the distrib-
uted response f r o m the p e r i o d o n t i u m (thus, the
subscripts p) may be expressed as the force-
couple pair shown, referenced to the center of
resistance. (The weight of the tooth is reason-
ably assumed to be comparatively negligible; lig-
ament-fiber tensions, primarily n e a r the root
apex, negate the small tendency for extrusion.)
In the absence of occlusion, the driving force is
the only significant action, and the response all
but offsets or balances that action. T h e transla-
d
0
Fp
Cp
Cw
/
Figure 2. Canine at a later point in time after tipping
has caused the initial clearance between the arch wire
and bracket-slot to disappear. Wire-slot contact pro-
duces the counter-tipping couple (Cw).
 Canine-Retraction Biomechanics
tional potential of F~ is nearly negated by Fp, and
its rotational potential (the m o m e n t of F a a b o u t
the cre) is o p p o s e d by the resultant couple Cp.
From previous c o m m e n t s regarding mechanics
analysis, partial displacement predictions origi-
nate with the cited responsive components. T h e
cre will move distally (opposite in direction to
that of Fp), and the tooth will rotate clockwise
(opposite in sense to that of Cp) a b o u t a facio-
lingual axis. This c o m b i n a t i o n suggests a center
of rotation (cro) located apical of the cre and a
distal crown tipping overall f o r m a t as the retrac-
tion-displacement begins.
Figure 1 is the first of four sketches of the
canine to a u g m e n t explanations of the mechan-
ics. Each figure represents an instant of time
during the retraction process. T h e force system
shown is exerted on (not by) the canine; accord-
ingly, the symbols for the delivered force and the
couple partially represent their displacement
potentials. Because a mechanical couple can by
itself only p r o d u c e rotation, the curved arrow
notation that defines a plane and a sense is
appropriate. To clarify, two action systems exist
in this problem: (1) the force system delivered
by the appliance to the tooth crown; and (2) the
force-system exerted by the tooth root on the
periodontium. The second results f r o m and is
the mechanical equivalent of the first. T h e latter
is the action-reaction c o u n t e r p a r t of the respon-
sive force system shown in the sketch.
In Figure 2, the canine is shown slightly
tipped such that the a f o r e m e n t i o n e d clearance
has b e e n eliminated. Arch wire-slot contact
now exists, and the countertipping couple (Cw;
where w denotes wire) has appeared. This sketch
depicts the canine somewhat later in time, rela-
tive to Figure 1. Alternatively, if the long axis was
parallel to the occlusoapical axis, the mechanics
immediately after activation with the guiding
arch wire engaged in a p r e a n g u l a t e d bracket slot
would be shown. In these sketches of the isolated
canine, the relative length of the force symbol
and the d i a m e t e r of the couple symbol are in-
dicative of relative magnitudes. With reference
to Figure 1 then, in Figure 9 the driving force
c o m p o n e n t has deactivated slightly, Fp has be-
c o m e smaller, and the a p p e a r a n c e of Cw--simi-
lar to Gp also c o u n t e r c l o c k w i s e - - h a s contrib-
uted to a lessened responsive couple. T h e
continued (or initial) existence of both respon-
185
sire c o m p o n e n t s with the direction and sense
shown indicate that distal crown tipping should
(still) be the displacement format, though the
cro has now progressed apically (or is apical) of
the known simple-tipping location for a single
rooted tooth. (With regard to m a g n i t u d e associ-
ations, for each sketch two i n d e p e n d e n t rela-
tionships exist. O n e relationship says that the
two force magnitudes must be virtually equal,
and the o t h e r that the m o m e n t s of the active
and responsive forces and couples a b o u t the cre
must virtually balance because the translational
and rotational inertias, respectively, of the ca-
nine are negligible. To estimate all c o m p o n e n t
magnitudes at an instant of time, then, one or
two of the three or four magnitudes must be
measurable at that timepoint.)
T h e m a g n i t u d e of C w is, principally, directly
related to the local b e n d i n g of the guiding arch
wire at the canine bracket site. The size of C w is
also, to a m u c h lesser extent in context, associ-
ated with the location of the canine bracket
relative to support sites mesial and distal to it. 15
This b e n d i n g is a localized rotation of the wire in
the faciolingual plane; this rotation is the differ-
ence between the a m o u n t of tipping and the
initial occlusogingival/rotational clearance, if
any. With a p r e a n g u l a t e d bracket slot, the initial
clearance is likely zero with some local second-
o r d e r rotation required to engage the wire in
the slot. If this is the case, C w exists f r o m the start
of the retraction process. Also note that, as Cw
appears, some frictional resistance to these slid-
ing mechanics arises, but is assumed to be small.
The instantaneous m a g n i t u d e of F a then be-
comes the difference between the size of the
force originating with the auxiliary and the mag-
nitude of the opposing frictional force. Without
invalidating the current model, frictional resis-
tance is h e r e assumed to be a relatively small
perturbation on the auxiliary-force magnitude. 1G
At some point in time after initial activation,
r e m o d e l i n g of the p e r i o d o n t i u m begins to con-
tribute to the displacement prediction. In addi-
tion, in time the distal driving force c o m p o n e n t
of the appliance mechanics may be replaced
a n d / o r reactivated. For now, discussion of these
contributions is deferred. T h e assumption is
temporarily m a d e that (1) the appliance compo-
n e n t that activates the mechanics is left in place
for a between-appointments period of perhaps
186 Robert J. Nikolai
several weeks or more, and (2) the periodon-
tium continues to exhibit a springback potential
somewhat similar to that in response to inter-
rupted, short-term, masticating action.
As distal crown tipping continues, the magni-
tude of C w increases directly with the local wire
b e n d i n g deformation. (Assumedly, the arch wire
maintains its elasticity t h r o u g h o u t the retraction
process.) With the a c c o m p a n y i n g distal displace-
m e n t of the crown center, p e r h a p s also with
relaxation of the driving c o m p o n e n t of the ap-
pliance, Fa decreases in magnitude. T h e possi-
bility t h e n arises that the c o u p l e - f o r c e ratio
(Cw/Fa) may be r e d u c e d to nearly equal the
distance between the crown center and the cre
of the canine. This mechanical configuration is
shown in Figure 3. T h e m a g n i t u d e o f Cp has
decreased to zero, signifying that the cro has
migrated apically a n d the tipping displacement
has potentially t r a n s f o r m e d into bodily move-
ment. Notably, t h r o u g h o u t the period between
the time points depicted in Figures 2 and 3, the
couple C~vis, in one m a n n e r of speaking, part of
the overall force system that responds to F a. This
couple exists primarily because the distal driving
force has tipped the canine. If F a is removed,
and if the p e r i o d o n t i u m maintains some spring-
back potential, the tooth tends to upright and,
correspondingly, the magnitude o f C w lessens.
d
O p l a c e m e n t f o r m a t may only exist momentarily.17
Fp
Cw
/ lessen, but the size of C w will decrease only if the
Figure 3. Canine at a still later point in time. Tipping
has continued. The ratio of magnitudes of Cw to Fa
equals that of the moment-arm of F~ referred to the
center of resistance, producing bodily movement at
this instant.
d I
o
Cp
Cw Fa
Figure 4. The driving-force magnitude F a continues
to decrease with time, such that the couple-force ratio
now exceeds that for bodily movement, and the ca-
nine begins to upright, evidenced by the reappear-
ance of Cp, but with sense of opposite to that in
Figures 1 and 2.
Within this scenario, C w will not even partially
drive the displacement. In o t h e r words, if the
displacement fully transforms f r o m crown tip-
ping to bodily m o v e m e n t , with F a decreasing in
m a g n i t u d e with time, the wire couple will have
r e a c h e d its m a x i m u m value, a n d the canine ori-
entation will be at its greatest distal-crown-lead-
ing angulation during the retraction process.
Consider now the c o n t i n u e d deactivation
f r o m the Figure 3 configuration of the driving
force m a g n i t u d e F a. T h e bodily m o v e m e n t dis-
With the size of C w controlled by the local bend-
ing of the arch wire at the bracket site and,
therefore, by the angulation of the tooth, a de-
creasing F a m a g n i t u d e increases the couple-
force ratio. This occurrence changes the charac-
ter of the tooth displacement potential again,
now toward mesiodistal rotation. With the po-
tential for tipping r e d u c e d because of the
smaller Fa, the m a g n i t u d e of C w attempts to
angulation of the tooth diminishes. Examine
Figure 4, particularly in c o m p a r i s o n to Figure 3.
An increase in the ratio o f C w t o F a causes, in the
absence of inertial influences, the r e a p p e a r a n c e
of a couple c o m p o n e n t of the resultant peri-
odontal response. Notice, though, that the sense
 Canine-Retraction Biomechanics
of Cp in Figure 4 is opposite to that in Figures 1
and 2. As long as F a remains sufficiently large,
the potential for the canine's center of resis-
tance to move distally will continue to exist. The
sense of Cp says, however, that the tooth as a
whole should begin to rotate counterclockwise
as viewed. T h e overall tooth displacement would
then migrate toward second-order torquing; the
center of rotation reappears, now occlusal to the
cre.
Previously, two aspects of a viable biome-
chanical m o d e l of canine retraction on a guid-
ing arch wire were temporarily set aside. First
was the consideration of d i s e n g a g e m e n t a n d
replacement/reactivation of the driving force
c o m p o n e n t of the appliance. Such a change
could occur as often as once per day if the
c o m p o n e n t is an o-ring. More likely, though,
is the r e p l a c e m e n t (of the elastomeric compo-
nent) or p e r h a p s only a reactivation (of a
spring) at each a p p o i n t m e n t . It is reasonable to
expect that a change would occur at or beyond
the time point r e p r e s e n t e d in Figure 2. Disen-
g a g e m e n t would temporarily remove F a, the
tooth would r e s p o n d by tending to instanta-
neously upright somewhat, and C w would de-
crease with the long-axis angulation. Assumedly,
r e p l a c e m e n t or reactivation of the c o m p o n e n t
would restore the a p p r o x i m a t e initial m a g n i t u d e
of F a, causing the tooth to tip slightly (against a
somewhat reduced C w a c c o m p a n y i n g the poten-
tial uprighting), increasing the c o u n t e r t i p p i n g
couple magnitude. R e e n g a g e m e n t would then
effectively reverse the overall process thus far in
relative time toward the Figure 2 configuration,
but p e r h a p s with the canine tipped farther than
at the c o m p a r a b l e state in the previous activa-
tion-deactivation cycle. If, before disengage-
ment, the mechanics had p r o c e e d e d to the Fig-
ure 3 configuration or beyond, r e e n g a g e m e n t
would, with the increase in couple-force ratio,
p r o d u c e a similar "stepped-back restart" to the
process as described. T h e reactivated appliance
mechanics would have a configuration between
those of Figures 2 a n d 3, a n d the process
would again p r o c e e d with time toward the con-
figuration of Figure 4. Clearly, the reason for
partitioning the overall process with periodic
reactivations (possibly a c c o m p a n i e d by compo-
nent-replacements) is to maintain sufficient Fa
187
m a g n i t u d e to sustain continuing distal displace-
m e n t of the center of resistance of the canine.
T h e second aspect to be restored and com-
plete a viable representation of clinical canine
retraction is that of the r e m o d e l i n g of the peri-
odontium. Resorption of b o n e in pressure zones
and apposition and ligament fiber reorgan-
ization in periodontal zones in tension likely
modify the pattern of distributed force at the
root-ligament interface toward reducing concen-
trations of internal force a n d a m o r e uniformly
varying response with a somewhat smaller result-
ant magnitude. This lessened response magni-
tude permits the appliance action to d o m i n a t e a
bit, permitting the (Reitan's) third stage of orth-
odontic tooth m o v e m e n t to occur, which, in
turn, slightly deactivates F a in particular toward
t e m p o r a r y n e a r restoration of mechanical action
response balance. Over significant time, the per-
m a n e n t position and orientation of the canine
changes. Again recall, though, that the magni-
tude of F a is d e t e r m i n e d only in part by the
location o f the crown center, but that of C w is
directly related to the angulation of the canine.
The effect of the latter, after r e m o d e l i n g has left
the canine p e r m a n e n t l y tipped, is to p e r m i t the
wire couple to partially control subsequent dis-
placement. T h r e e possibilities require review, re-
lating the instantaneous m a g n i t u d e of F a to that
of Cw, divided by the m o m e n t - a r m of F a with
respect to the canine cre. If F a is larger than the
couple m a g n i t u d e to m o m e n t - a r m ratio, the po-
tential for further distal crown tipping is present.
If F a is equal to the a f o r e m e n t i o n e d ratio, the
potential is for (momentary) bodily m o v e m e n t .
If F a is less than the ratio, the displacement
f o r m a t potential is toward torquing. Again, re-
call that F~ c a n n o t increase in magnitude with
time without d i s e n g a g e m e n t and reactivation or
replacement.
Summary, Conclusions, and Suggestions
The active orthodontic t r e a t m e n t process of ca-
nine retraction on a guiding arch wire, presum-
ably into a site created by a first p r e m o l a r extrac-
tion, has b e e n reviewed with emphasis on the
detailed f o r m a t of the displacement. T h e prob-
lem was simplified somewhat by specifying the
start configuration of the canine, suppressing
the potential for long-axis rotation, and repre-
188 Robert J. Nikolai
senting frictional resistance within the sliding
mechanics as negligible, 16 but the m o d e l argu-
ably does not invalidate its reasonable applica-
bility within the clinical setting. The intent was
also to present a p r o c e d u r e by which the dy-
namic process of tooth m o v e m e n t may be exam-
ined by partitioning it, considering a sequence
of views of the force systems at notable time
points, and extrapolating forward f r o m one
characteristic state to the next. T h e laws/princi-
ples of mechanics, appropriately applied, serve
to help describe the overall displacement in
steps. T h e matter of displacement rate, associ-
ated with the m a g n i t u d e of appliance-delivered
force as a function of time and the biomechani-
cal response in the individual patient, is not part
of the present discussion.
Distal displacement of the canine is consid-
ered as two or three subprocesses, the begin-
nings and ends of which are defined by three or
four instantaneous views of the mechanics. Seg-
ments of the displacement within the subpro-
cesses are predicted f r o m the mechanically
equivalent actions at their starts, referenced to
the canine's center of resistance, argued as also
essentially equal to the cre referenced results o f
the distributed forces exerted by the root on the
periodontium. A single activation and an elastic
or viscoelastic periodontal response are initially
assumed; subsequently the likely occurrences of
disengagements and reactivations and the effect
of periodontal r e m o d e l i n g are a d d e d to the
m o d e l analysis.
With respect to the dental reference f r a m e
and with the initial position and orientation of
the canine, the idealized intent is that the net
displacement of the canine be distal bodily
m o v e m e n t (translation). Modeling eliminates
the tendency for long-axis rotation to be a con-
voluting part of the displacement, and such po-
tential may be substantially r e d u c e d by using
driving force sites adjacent to the facial and
lingual crown surfaces. Subsequent to the fore-
going analysis, the following summarizing state-
ments may be made:
1. T h e displacement begins as simple distal
crown tipping if any occlusogingival clear-
ance initially exists between wire and bracket
slot.
2. If no clearance exists at the start or after some
tipping has eliminated the initial clearance,
the displacement f o r m a t continues as distal
crown tipping. Flexibility of the guiding arch
wire, e n h a n c e d in particular by characteristic
lengths mesial and distal to the canine
bracket, enable the driving force to domi-
nate, and tipping continues (occurs) because
of local (elastic) wire b e n d i n g at the canine
bracket site.
3. Decrease in the driving force magnitude be-
cause of distal displacement of the canine's
crown center and increase in the countertip-
ping couple m a g n i t u d e directly related to
long-axis angulation can cause the crown me-
chanics to reach a state for which the mo-
ments offset one a n o t h e r and the displace-
m e n t f o r m a t m o m e n t a r i l y becomes bodily
movement.
4. With the countertipping couple magnitude
maintained by the angulation of the canine,
further d e g e n e r a t i o n of the driving force
m a g n i t u d e would transform the displace-
m e n t f o r m a t toward that of second-order
torquing.
5. R e m o d e l i n g of the p e r i o d o n t i u m reduces the
capability of the countertipping couple to de-
crease in m a g n i t u d e when, for example, the
distal driving force c o m p o n e n t is disengaged
before r e p l a c e m e n t or reactivation.
6. T h e four sketches r e p r e s e n t the mechanics of
the retraction process at subsequent points in
time, assuming that the distal driving compo-
n e n t remains in place to the state o f Figure 4
and perhaps beyond. D i s e n g a g e m e n t of this
c o m p o n e n t at some timepoint to reactivate
or replace it effectively takes the shown pro-
gression of tooth m o v e m e n t backward slightly
in relative time, and the displacement restarts
with reactivation.
T h e following conclusion can be drawn. Even
though late in the sequence of subprocesses the
displacement f o r m a t can b e c o m e that tending
toward root m o v e m e n t , a net bodily m o v e m e n t
displacement is impossible practically with the
chosen appliance mechanics. T h e driving force
must d o m i n a t e to displace the center of resis-
tance of the canine distally. T h e greater the
b e n d i n g stiffness of the guiding arch wire,
the m o r e upright it will keep the tooth during
the displacement. Increasing the wire stiffness
 Canine-Retraction Biomechanics
has the effect of decreasing the magnitude of tip
together with the time period between Figure 1
(or 2) and Figure 4, but the overriding factor is
different origins of the crown force (Fa) and
couple (Cw). A first displacement objective
would be to achieve the desired crown center
location. Seemingly, the best ending for the pro-
cess would be with the net F a b e c o m i n g near
zero, with the couple still existing because of
some, however small, long-axis angulation. The
process would then finish with the center of
rotation at or near the cre, and the crown center
moving mesially, defeating the first objective.
The appliance delivering force to the canine
crown, in the problem m o d e l e d into two dimen-
sions, consists of two principal deformable com-
ponents. The driving force c o m p o n e n t and the
guiding arch wire act independently of one
another. Assumedly, from the time of the first
two-point, wire-slot contact, the countertipping
couple exists continuously until the entire re-
traction process has been completed, despite
several potential intermediate patient appoint-
ments. The direct relationship between couple
magnitude and long-axis angulation depends
primarily on the second-order rotational bend-
ing stiffness of the arch wire at the bracket site.
Absolute magnitudes of force system compo-
nents are not part of the current discussion, n o r
is the factor of wire-slot frictional resistance
(which may or may not be a significant influence
on the delivered net distal driving force), so no
c o m m e n t regarding selection of guiding arch
wire or canine bracket is appropriate here.
Despite the fact that the c o m p o n e n t s exerting
the distal driving force and the countertipping
couple are physically independent, to control
the character of the displacement they together
produce, the two c o m p o n e n t s should likely be
matched to an extent. Because the countertip-
ping couple will be continuous, an interrupted
driving force may be contraindicated; the inter-
rupted driving action would apparently provoke
a sequence of cyclic, rotational perturbations (as
the Cw magnitude oscillated) on the primary
displacement format. The magnitude of the
countertipping couple will generally be increas-
ing with or maintained over time, governed by
the angulation of the canine's long axis with the
occlusoapical reference. The magnitude of the
distal driving force should not be permitted to
189
unduly deteriorate, lest Cw dominate and the
crown center reverse its displacement direction.
If the force is derived from a spring, the spring
should have a low stiffness so that its action is
continuous. If the force is obtained from an
elastomeric c o m p o n e n t , because of relaxation
potential the c o m p o n e n t should be replaced
periodically--in the case of o-ring use with a
cooperative patient, every day. Without ques-
tion, advantage should be taken of the opportu-
nity to replace or reactivate the distal driving
c o m p o n e n t at each appointment. Also, perhaps
the initial magnitude of distal driving force
should be increased somewhat at the second
retraction process a p p o i n t m e n t with the aim to
enhance the displacement rate after the peri-
o d o n t i u m has b e c o m e accustomed to the inva-
sive effect of the superimposed mechanical
force.
The suggestions in the previous paragraph
are just that, proposed e n h a n c e m e n t s to the
clinical regimen that emerge from a detailed,
hypothetical examination in this article of the
orthodontic mechanics of canine retraction on
a guiding arch wire. These suggestions may be
controversial to some, and they might preface a
proposal for hypothesis testing within a n e e d e d
extensive, in vivo study of the process.
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