Many steps are involved in the orthodontic treatment of a patient, and a variety of treatment options are available that would produce a desirable outcome. For the sake of the discussion that follows, remember that the procedures have been greatly simplified and the course of treatment is only one of many legitimate options for the patient.

Orthodontic treatment can be broken down into six (6) phases. During each phase of treatment, a different wire is necessary to accomplish the goal. For a prticular phase each specification of a wire is dependent on the previous wire used. Generally speaking, as you progress through the six phases of orthodontic treatment, strength and stiffness increase as range decreases. The reason the elastic properties change in this manner is because the progression facilitates the attainment of the goals of each phase of treatment. The six (6) phases of orthodontic treatment are as follows: