Pediatric Dentistry Clinical Photos
Basic Wire Bending

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Basic Instrumentation:
0.036 wire
Bird beak pliers (139)
Heavy wire cutters
3-prong pliers

Bird beak pliers; one side of the "beaks" is square, the other rounded

Another view of a bird beak plier

3-prong plier

Another view of a 3 prong plier; note the convergence toward the tip; this is desirable when bending different kinds of appliances.

Grasping 0.036 wire; bending the wire towards the square side will result in a square bend; bending toward the rounded side results in a rounded bend.

Bottom wire was bend against square side; top wire was bent against rounded side.

Most of the pressure in wire bending is accomplished with the thumb.

Wire bent against rounded side.

Wire again bent against rounded side, but deeper ino the pliers. This will result in a more rounded curve.

Bending with a 3 prong plier.

Creating a gentle bend or curve with a 3 prong plier. The plier is "stepped" in small increments along the wire to give a smooth bend. This bend is useful in space maintainers like lingual holding arches.

Another way of accomplishing a gentle bend; very significant thumb pressure is applied to obtain a gentle curve of the wire.

The third leg of this design is not in the same plane of space as the first two legs.

To put the 3rd leg into the same plane, grasp the wire deep in the jaws of a bird beak plier; then bend the leg of the wire downwards.

The three legs of the wire are now in the same plane.