An aligning auxiliary for ribbon arch brackets: rectangular boxes from ultrafine high tensile wires.

For the last thirty years, those using the ribbon arch brackets have disregarded the control of the apices at the start of treatment, if they have followed Begg principles. This was done for simplicity in teaching especially during the early short courses, and for anchorage purposes, yet Dr Begg's original article showed torquing control early in treatment. The problem of anchorage can now be overcome with the use of extremely light wires for bodily alignment which were not available to Dr Begg. Furthermore, clinical observations by other practitioners have confirmed the author's observation that such extremely light constant forces seem to remodel cortical bone in many patients, such as when instanding lateral incisors are brought forward. The principal reason for presenting this article is the theoretical implication--for orthodontics in general--of the possibility of cortical bone remodelling by fixed appliances. The secondary reason is that it is becoming accepted as a major advance in the Begg appliance.