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Choose a glossary:
 Archwire (1): 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 (2): A
metal ring that is cemented to your tooth
and goes completely around your
tooth. Bands provide a way to attach
brackets to your teeth.
Bracket (3): A metal or ceramic part
cemented (“bonded”) to your tooth that holds
your archwire in place.
Coil Spring (4): A spring that fits
between your brackets and over your archwire to open
space between your teeth.
Elastic (Rubber Band) (5): 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 (6): The rubber band that
fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place.
They come in a variety of colors.
Headgear Tube (7): A
round, hollow attachment on your back bands. The inner
bow of your headgear fits into it.
Hook (8): A welded or removable arm
to which elastics are attached.
Tie Wire (9): A fine wire that is twisted
around your bracket to hold the archwire in place.
Appliance: Anything your orthodontist
attaches to your teeth which moves your teeth or changes
the shape of your jaw.
Bond: The
seal created by orthodontic cement that
holds your appliances in place.
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.
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, the retainer attaches
to your upper and/or lower teeth
to hold them in place. Some retainers
are removable and 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.
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 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 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 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.
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