Ortho Dictionary
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 acts as a track to guide your teeth along as they move. It is changed periodically throughout treatment as your teeth move to their new positions.
- Band: A metal ring that is cemented to your tooth, going completely around it. Bands provide a way to attach brackets to your teeth.
- Bond: The attachment created by orthodontic cement that holds your appliances in place.
- Bracket: A 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.
- Elastic (Rubber Band): A small rubber band that is hooked between different points on your appliance to provide force to move your teeth to their new position.
- Elastic O-Tie: The tiny rubber band that fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. They come in a variety of colors. You can choose which color(s) you would like from our wide selection each time you see us for an appointment.
- Facemask: A facemask uses an external wire apparatus to guide the growth of your face and jaw by moving your upper teeth into proper position. The force is applied to elastics (rubber bands) that attach to the facemask and your teeth.
- Headgear: Headgear uses an external wire apparatus known as a facebow to gently guide the growth of your face and jaw by moving your upper 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 the orthodontic bands on your upper back teeth. The inner bow of your headgear fits into it.
- Hook: A welded or removable arm to which elastics or other auxiliary appliances 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. 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: A device that makes your upper jaw wider.
- Retainer: An appliance that is worn after your braces are removed. Retainers help maintain your beautiful new smile by holding your teeth in their new positions. 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 your bands are attached.
- Tie Wire: A fine wire that is twisted around your bracket to hold the archwire in place.
- Wax: Orthodontic wax is used to provide you with temporary relief and comfort if your braces or wires are irritating your lips or cheeks. Please call our office immediately if something feels loose or is poking so that we can relieve the problem as soon as possible.
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 image of your head which shows the relative positions and growth of your face, jaws, and teeth. At Solon Orthodontics, we use digital x-ray images.
- Consultation: A meeting with your orthodontist to discuss your customized orthodontic 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. Your orthodontist will use these impressions to help 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 show your teeth, jaw, and other facial areas. At Solon Orthodontics, we use digital x-ray images.
