span a number of teeth. Both ends of the bow are incorporated in the acrylic. Active bows are used for incisor retraction. The bow selected will depend partly on the preference of the operator and partly on the amount of retraction required. Flexible bows, such as the Roberts' retractor, are most suitable where a large overjet has to be reduced. When the amount of retraction is small but minor irregularities need to be corrected (and perhaps over-corrected) a less flexible bow may be preferred because it is more precise in its action and needs only a small amount of activation.