Ortho Dictionary
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» Parts of Braces
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Parts of Braces
Appliance
Anything your orthodontist attaches to your teeth which moves your teeth or changes the shape of your jaw.
Archwire
The titanium or stainless steel wire that acts as a track to guide your teeth along as they move. It is changed or adjusted periodically throughout treatment as your teeth move to their new positions.
Band
A stainless steel ring that is cemented around your tooth to strongly attach a bracket, tube, archwire, expander, or lip bumper.
Bond
The seal created by orthodontic cement that holds your appliances in place.
Bracket
A metal or ceramic attachment cemented ("bonded") to your tooth that holds your archwire in place; a handle to move your tooth.
Coil Spring
A spring that fits between your brackets or over your archwire to open or close space between your teeth.
Elastic (Rubber Band)
A small rubber band that is hooked between different points on your appliance to provide pressure to move your teeth and jaw to the correct new position. They usually must be worn 24/7.
Elastic Tie
The tiny silicone donut that fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. They can be any color you want.
Headgear
Headgear uses an external wire apparatus known as a facebow to gently guide the growth of your face and jaw by moving your teeth into proper position. The force is applied to the facebow by a spring-loaded neck pad or head strap. The straps have a safety release that disconnects if the facebow is pulled or snagged.
Headgear Tube
A round, hollow attachment on your back bands. The inner bow of your headgear fits into it or a bite jumping spring (FReD spring) clips through it.
Hook
A welded or removable arm to which elastics are attached.
Ligature
A thin wire that holds your archwire into your bracket.
Lip Bumper
A lip bumper is an archwire attached to a molded piece of plastic. It is a functional appliance that changes the equilibrium of forces around the teeth. By keeping the lips and cheeks away from the teeth, the tongue expands the dental arch and the lip holds back the molars on your lower jaw to provide more space for your other teeth.
Mouthguard
A device that protects your teeth from injury and your head from concussion when you participate in rough sports.
Palatal Expander
A device that gradually stretches a narrow upper jaw to the normal width, correcting crossbites and relieving crowded front teeth. Some patients report it becomes easier to breath through the nose.
Retainers
Appliances that are worn to keep your teeth straight after the braces are removed. Fixed retainers are thin gold or silver wires that are bonded to the backs of the upper and lower front teeth for an indefinite period. A removable retainer is also worn for about twelve hours a day, from after dinner until breakfast, for at least two years after braces are removed.
Separator (or Spacer)
A small rubber ring that creates a small space between your teeth so that silver bands can be fitted comfortably at a later visit.
Tie Wire
A fine wire that is twisted around your bracket to hold the archwire in place.
Wax
Wax is used to stop your braces from irritating your lips.
Orthodontic Procedures
Banding
The process of fitting and cementing orthodontic bands to your teeth.
Bonding
The process of attaching brackets to your teeth using special orthodontic cement.
Cephalometric X-ray
An x-ray of your head which shows the relative positions and growth of the face, jaws, and teeth. It is used to project growth and to simulate various treatment scenarios.
Consultation
A meeting with your orthodontist to discuss a treatment plan.
Debanding
The process of removing cemented orthodontic bands from your teeth.
Debonding
The process of removing cemented orthodontic brackets from your teeth.
Impressions
The process of making a mold of your teeth by biting into a soft material like pudding that sets like Jell-o. The impressions can be poured in plaster or CAT scanned to create a digital model of your teeth and jaws. Your orthodontist uses these to plan your treatment.
Invisalign®
An alternative to traditional braces, Invisalign straightens your teeth with a series of clear custom-molded aligners. Invisalign can correct some, but not all, orthodontic problems.
Ligation
The process of attaching an archwire to the brackets on your teeth.
Panoramic X-ray
A digital x-ray machine that rotates around your head to take pictures of your teeth, jaw and other facial areas. You can see your teeth immediately on the monitor.
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