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» Parts of Braces
» Orthodontic Procedures

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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 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 and is usually made of different alloys such as stainless steel, nickel titanium and others.

Band
A metal ring that is cemented to your tooth and goes completely around it. Bands provide a way to attach brackets to non-bondable teeth or to anchor other appliances to your teeth.

Bond
The seal 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.

E-Arch
An appliance used to widen your lower arch.

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.

Elastic Tie or Chain
The rubber band that fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. They come in a variety of colors. It also comes in a continuous chain used to pull teeth together.

Headgear – Standard or Reverse
Headgear uses an external force to gently guide the growth of your face and jaw into proper position. It is mostly used in patients with ‘overbites’ and anchors against the head or neck. Reverse Headgear is used for ‘underbites’ and anchors itself on the forehead and chin. Both are worn only at home and for a few hours a day.

Headgear Tube
A round, hollow attachment on your back bands. The inner bow of your headgear fits into it.

Hook
A welded or removable arm to which elastics are attached.

Ligature
A thin wire that can hold an archwire into your bracket. Rarely used since the advent of self-ligating braces.

Lip Bumper
A lip bumper is an archwire attached to a molded piece of plastic. It 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 and attaches to your upper and/or lower teeth to hold them in place.

Separator (Spacer)
A small rubber ring that creates space between your teeth before bands are attached.

Wax
Wax is used to stop your braces from irritating your lips.

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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.

Consultation
A meeting with your orthodontist to discuss a treatment plan.

Debonding & Debanding
The process of removing brackets & cemented orthodontic bands 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. These are then CT scanned into a digital 3D model of your teeth. Your orthodontist 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.

Occlusal equilibration
The process of removing interferences from your bite and maximizing the number of teeth in contact when biting down.

Panoramic X-ray
An x-ray that rotates around your head to take pictures of your teeth, jaw and other facial areas.

Self-Ligating bracket
An advanced bracket which doesn’t require either elastic or metal ligatures to hold the wire in place. This reduces friction and force levels needed to move teeth, making treatment faster and more comfortable for the patient.

Tooth Positioner
A custom appliance created from the most ideal positions of your teeth and used to fine tune your bite.