Parts of Braces
appliance
Anything your orthodontist attaches to your teeth which moves your teeth or changes the shape of your jaw.
archwire
A wire engaged in orthodontic attachments, affixed to the crowns of two or more teeth and capable of causing or guiding tooth movement.
band
A thin metal ring, usually stainless steel, which serves to secure orthodontic attachments to a tooth. The band, with orthodontic attachments welded or soldered to it, is closely adapted to fit the contours of the tooth and then cemented into place.
bond
Created by the orthodontic cement, this is the seal that holds your appliances in place.
bracket
An orthodontic attachment that is secured to a tooth (either by bonding or banding) for the purpose of engaging an archwire. Brackets can be fabricated from metal, ceramic or plastic.
ceramic brackets
Crystalline, alumina, tooth-shade or clear synthetic sapphire brackets that are aesthetically more attractive than conventional metal attachments.
coil spring
A spring that fits between your brackets and over your archwire to create space between your teeth.
elastics (rubber bands)
Used to move teeth in prescribed direction, these are small rubber bands that are commonly connected to hooks on your brackets to apply pressure which moves your teeth.
elastic tie
These are the tiny bands that fit on your bracket to hold the archwire in place. They are found in numerous colors for better appearance.
headgear
Generic term for extraoral traction (attached around the back side of the head) for growth modification, tooth movement and anchorage.
Herbst appliance
Fixed or removable appliance designed commonly for overbite problems and more.
hook
An “arm” that is on the bracket to which elastics are attached.
ligature
A thin wire that holds your archwire into the bracket.
lip bumper
Lip bumpers are used on our patients who need to create more room for their crowded teeth. The lip bumper is a wire on the lower jaw that extends from one molar to another and keeps lips and cheeks from touching your teeth. When you move your mouth or speak, your lips and cheeks push on the bumper, and the bumper applies pressure to the teeth. This pressure pushes the molars back, creating more space for overcrowded teeth.
mouth guard
A device that protects your teeth from injury when you play sports or participate in rigorous activity.
Rapid Palatal Expander
Attached to the upper molars through bonding or by cemented bands, the Rapid Palatal Expander is an orthodontic device used to create a wider space in the upper jaw. It is typically used when the upper jaw is too narrow for the lower jaw or when the upper teeth are crowded or blocked out of the dental arch.
retainer
Any orthodontic appliance, fixed or removable, used to maintain the position of the teeth following corrective treatment.
separator or spacer
Spacers are small elastics that fit snugly between certain teeth to move them slightly so bands can be placed around them later. Spacers can fall out on their own if enough space has already been created.
wax
Used to stop your brackets from rubbing on your lips and cheeks.
Orthodontic Procedures
banding
The process of fitting and cementing the bands to the teeth.
bonding
The process of cementing the brackets to the teeth.
consultation
A meeting with the orthodontist to discuss the treatment plan.
debanding
The removal of cemented orthodontic bands from the teeth.
debonding
The removal of cemented orthodontic brackets from the teeth.
imaging
The process of acquiring representations of structures in either two or three dimensions.
impressions
The process of making models of the teeth by biting into a soft material that hardens into a mold. These impressions are used to create a treatment plan.
radiograph (X-ray)
A permanent image, typically on film, produced by ionizing radiation. Sometimes called an X-ray after the most common source of image-producing radiation.