Tricks of the trade: loop making made easy by simple markings on the wire – a clinical tip

In frictionless mechanics, the first step at the time of retraction of the anterior segment of teeth is to remove the previous wire from the patient's mouth and replace it with a new wire with a loop on it which is activated progressively to close the space.

There are two methods for the fabrication of loops on the wires – either by taking a measurement on the new wire from the patient's cast or by taking a measurement from the patient's oral cavity directly.

When the measurement for making a loop is taken from the cast, it requires the making of an impression and fabrication of a cast which is a time consuming process. Alternatively, when the measurement for the loop is taken directly by keeping the new wire inside the patient's mouth, it requires chairside time, is cumbersome and may cause trauma. With both methods, the accuracy of making a loop is satisfactory. A new method is presented here which is not only more accurate and time saving, but also simpler.