START                                                                                                     3 MONTHS 6 DAYS



VECTOR III® Duo-Tee® Spring appliances offer increased functional capabilities in moving anterior teeth combined with decreased negative components and no interproximal reduction of teeth resulting in the best quality treatment option for a limited group of patients able to make use of this appliance. These patients are those which need only their front six anterior teeth moved, and in some cases we can straighten even molars. These appliances can be used in place of appliances such as Invisalign® appliances which are much more costly.

The VECTOR III® Duo-Tee® Springs Hawley type retainer is the opposite of a traditional Hawley type retainer where the labial bow is theactive retaining force. With VECTOR III® Duo-Tee® Springs the labial bow is the resistant/opposite (limiting) force. The VECTOR III® Duo-Tee® Springs are an active moving force. They are further a (low rate) constant, light, continuous, optimal force system. These forces are compounded (via each spring) to achieve the vectors necessary to align 6 anterior teeth and their roots.  Lab slip Precise Orthodontics, Inc. is a VECTOR III® Duo-Tee® Springs certified and licensed lab.

VECTOR III® Duo-Tee® Springs are a removable type orthodontic appliance. There are indications for it’s use and limitations. Customarily one appliance (one phase) is adequate. When the distance of movement of individual teeth is greater than the range of effectual optimal adjustment of the VECTOR III® Duo-Tee® Springs, TWO phases, or a new impression and a second phase appliance is indicated. Historically a maximum of two appliances have been used without the need for any further appliances. This may not be the limitations of this type appliance but it is the customary usage.

The time factor of  3-6 months should be the guide for each phase. If the rate of progress tends to “slow down” it may be prudent to initiate a second phase appliance. This would usually coincide with the springs being adjusted to approach their limit. An analogy would be a bumper jack for a car at its limit. Blocking and restarting the jack again would result in two times the distance being achieved with the same jack.

It is important to note this type of two phase treatment is NOT comparable to the multiple step removable appliances (up to 22 each arch such as Invisalign®) of other removable orthodontic appliance treatments. The 22 appliance treatment is in “go/stop” steps and other “multi-adjusted” type removable appliances are by nature  “go/stop” “high/low” force systems.

The VECTOR III® Duo-Tee® Springs in each phase are continuous optimal forces compounded, or vectored, to deliver revolutionary type treatment results for a removable appliance. The Vectorloy™ Wire is fabricated and uniquely heat-treated to provide a very high modulus of elasticity without brittleness. This contributes, with the design, to an active continuous force range differentially indicated for each individual tooth.

Invisalign® is a registered trademark of Align® Technologies