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 goes completely around your tooth. Bands are cemented in place, and provide a way to attach brackets to your teeth.
- Bracket
- A metal or ceramic part cemented (“bonded”) to your tooth that holds your archwire in place.
- 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
- The rubber band that fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. They come in a variety of colors.
- Hook
- A welded or removable arm to which elastics are attached.
- 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.
- Tie Wire
- A fine wire that is twisted around your bracket to hold the archwire in place.
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.
- 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.
- Panoramic X-ray
- An x-ray that rotates around your head to take pictures of your teeth, jaw and other facial areas.
Swan Orthodontics
6677 Crossings Drive SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49508
(616) 698-2323
6677 Crossings Drive SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49508
(616) 698-2323