Jaw wiring

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The act of wiring a jaw keeps it closed for some amount of time. Originally this was as the mandibular equivalent of a cast, to fix the jaw in place while a fracture healed, but now jaws are sometimes wired for weight-loss purposes, preventing the ingestion of solid food.

Orthodontic jaw wiring is a fixed intra-oral, bio-mechanical device and method for treating and controlling compulsive overeating and obesity. The device is composed of orthodontic brackets attached to the teeth, and pliable wire wrapped either around or through the brackets. The brackets are optimally positioned with respect to the anterior‑posterior position of the lower jaw. The wiring is configured to suspend the patient’s lower jaw in a semi-closed, partially movable resting position which permits a moderate amount of physiologic jaw movement and relatively clear speech, while inhibiting the ingestion of solid foods. On September 22, 2006, Dr. Ted Rothstein filed an application for a Utility patent with the USPTO.[1]

[edit] References

This article does not cite any references or sources. (September 2006) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.