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| Braces Diagram |
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| To help you accurately describe an emergency situation to the orthodontist, use the diagram below, which illustrates and names each part of a typical set of braces. |
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| A. Ligature |
| The archwire is held to each bracket with a ligature, which can be either a tiny elastic or a twisted wire. |
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| B. Archwire |
| The archwire is tied to all of the brackets and creates force to move teeth into proper alignment. |
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| C. Brackets |
| Brackets are connected to the bands, or directly bonded on the teeth, and hold the archwire in place. |
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| D. Metal Band |
| The band is the cemented ring of metal which wraps around the tooth. |
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| E. Elastic Hooks & Rubber Bands |
| The process of removing cemented orthodontic bands from your teeth. |
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| Parts of Braces |
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| Appliance |
Anything your orthodontist attaches to your teeth which moves your teeth or changes the shape of your jaw. |
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| 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. |
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| Band |
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. |
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| Bond |
The seal created by orthodontic cement that holds your appliances in place. |
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| Bracket |
A metal or ceramic part cemented (bonded) to your tooth that holds your archwire in place. |
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| Coil Spring |
A spring that fits between your brackets and over your archwire to open space between your teeth. |
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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. |
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| Elastic Tie |
The rubber band that fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. They come in a variety of colors. |
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| Forsus |
Orthopedic functional appliance routinely used in place of headgear to normalize growth discrepancies between the upper and lower jaw. |
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| Hook |
A welded or removable arm to which elastics are attached. |
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| Ligature |
A thin wire or elastic that holds your archwire into your bracket. |
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| Lingual Arch |
A metal appliance that is placed on the lower arch behind the teeth to provide more space for erupting teeth. |
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| 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. |
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| Mouthguard |
A device that protects your mouth from injury when you participate in sports or rigorous activities. |
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| Palatal Expander |
A device that makes your upper jaw wider. |
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| 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. |
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Separator
(or Spacer) |
A small rubber ring that creates space between your teeth before the bands are attached. |
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| Tie Wire |
A fine wire that is twisted around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. |
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| Wax |
Wax is used to stop your braces from irritating your lips. |
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| Orthodontic Procedures |
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Banding
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The process of fitting and cementing orthodontic bands to your teeth. |
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| Bonding |
The process of attaching brackets to your teeth using special orthodontic cement. |
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| Cephalometic X-ray |
An x-ray of your head which shows the relative positions and growth of the face, jaws, and teeth. |
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| Consultation |
A meeting with your orthodontist to discuss a treatment plan. |
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| Debanding-Debonding |
The process of removing cemented orthodontic bands from your teeth. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| Ligation |
The process of attaching an archwire to the brackets on your teeth. |
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| 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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| T.A.D. |
Temporary Anchorage Device is a type of mini-implant that is placed in the gums to facilitate orthodontic tooth movement. |
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| Retention |
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When the fixed orthodontic appliances from most or all of the teeth, a customized, removable retainer will be placed to hold the teeth in their new position.
The responsibility for wearing the retainer is extremely important in order to maintain the final positioning of the teeth. Failure to wear the appliance may well result in some relapse of the teeth toward their former position.
The following are some tips on retainer care and wear: |
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The retainer should be removed while eating. Do not wrap the retainer in a paper napkin as it can be easily forgotten and thrown away. |
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Brush your retainer just as you do your teeth, after each meal and before it is replaced in your mouth. |
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If the retainer is broken, irritates your mouth, does not fit or is lost, call our office immediately. |
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The first few days of wear will be the most difficult and your speech will reflect the major problem. |
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Dogs, for some reason, enjoy chewing on retainers; please keep it out of your pet's range. |
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Caution! Retainers may break under pressure. Do not chew on ice, hard candy, etc. |
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The retainer case should be used to protect the appliance when it is out of your mouth. |
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Extreme cold or extreme heat will harm your retainer. Do not boil, freeze or leave on your car dashboard. |
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| The loss or breakage of the retainer requires new impressions, new appliance fabrication and further appointments. Such replacement will also require an additional charge. |
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