Wire Sequence Planner Calculator

This calculator projects a typical fixed-appliance arch wire sequence — from round NiTi initial-alignment wires through rectangular working wires to stainless steel finishing wires — and estimates months per wire and total treatment time. Crowding severity scales only the initial alignment and leveling phase durations, since that is the stage where NiTi wires are doing the work of resolving rotations and crowding; more severe crowding (over 10mm) is modeled as taking noticeably longer to align than mild crowding (3mm or less). Patient age scales duration across every phase because periodontal ligament remodeling and tooth movement biology slow somewhat with age, so an adult case (over 35) is modeled as taking longer per wire than an adolescent case at every stage, not just alignment.

Self-ligating brackets get a modest speed advantage during initial alignment in this model, reflecting commonly cited (though debated) claims about reduced friction during early leveling; the advantage is smaller than either the crowding or age effect. An extraction case adds an entire additional space-closure wire stage. This is a generalized planning estimate based on typical wire-change intervals, not a substitute for individualized clinical judgment — actual wire changes depend on the orthodontist's direct assessment of tooth movement, oral hygiene, appliance breakage, and patient compliance at each visit, all of which can lengthen or shorten the sequence beyond this projection.