Life With Braces | Orthodontic Dictionary | Braces First Aid
Orthodontic Dictionary
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» Parts of Braces
» Orthodontic Procedures
Parts of Braces
Appliance: Anything your orthodontist attaches to your teeth which moves your teeth or changes the shape of your jaw.
Archwire: The metal wire that connects your braces together. It 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 metal ring that is cemented to your tooth (usually on the back permanent molars) going completely around it. A bracket is welded to this band to provide an attachment point for your archwire, elastics, or sometimes other appliances.
Bond: The seal created by orthodontic cement that holds your appliances in place.
Bracket: A small metal or ceramic part cemented ("bonded") to your tooth that holds your archwire in place.
Coil Spring: A spring that fits between your brackets and over your archwire to open space between your teeth. Sometimes coil springs are stretched between brackets to close spaces.
Elastic (Rubber Band): A small rubber band that is hooked between different points on your appliance to provide pressure to move your teeth to their new position. These are to be changed frequently by our patients.
Elastic Tie: The tiny rubber band that fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. They come in a variety of colors that may be changed at each visit to our office.
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 strap 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 molar bands. The inner bow of your headgear fits into it.
Hook: A short welded or removable arm on a bracket or band to which elastics are attached.
Ligature or Tie Wire: A fine wire that is twisted around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. This may take the place of an elastic tie.
Lip Bumper: A lip bumper is an archwire attached to a molded piece of plastic. The lip bumper holds back the molars on your lower jaw to provide more space for your other teeth.
Mouthguard: A device that protects your mouth from injury when you participate in sports or rigorous activities.
Palatal Expander (Butterfly): A device that makes your upper jaw wider. This is activated daily at home.
Retainer: An appliance that is worn after your braces are removed, the retainer attaches to your upper and/or lower teeth to hold them in place. Some retainers are removable, while others are bonded to the tongue-side of several teeth.
Separator or Spacer: A small rubber ring that creates space between your teeth before the bands are attached.
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.
Cephalometic X-ray: An x-ray of your head which shows the relative positions and growth of the face, jaws, and teeth.
Consultation: A meeting or phone conference with Dr. Shimizu 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 model of your teeth by biting into a soft material that hardens into a mold of your teeth. Dr. Shimizu will use these impressions to prepare your treatment plan.
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: An x-ray that rotates around your head to take pictures of your teeth, jaw, and other facial areas.