Ortho Dictionary
PARTS OF THE BRACES
Appliance
Anything Dr. White attaches to your teeth which is used to move your teeth or change the shape of your jaw.
Archwire
The metal wire connected to each brace of the top teeth or each brace of the bottom teeth. These wires are used to provide the necessary force to a tooth to create movement; and these wires are used as a track on which to slide teeth. The wires are adjusted and changed periodically throughout treatment as your teeth move to their new positions.
Band
A metal ring which encircles your tooth and is cemented in place with fluoride-releasing cement. Bands provide a way to attach brackets 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 the archwires in place. Each bracket is unique for each tooth, providing a specific prescription to each tooth for degree of tipping and torquing. These brackets are precisely positioned on each tooth by Dr. White.
Coil Spring
A high-tech nitinol spring that fits between brackets and over your archwire, used to open space between teeth.
Closing Spring
A high-tech nitinol spring that stretches between your teeth across an extraction space, used to close that space.
Elastic (Rubber Band)
A small rubber/latex band that is hooked between different points on your appliances to provide pressure to move your teeth to their new position.
A-lastic Tie (Colored Doughnut)
The rubber band that fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. They come in a variety of colors.
Ligature Tie
A thin wire that holds your archwire into your bracket.
Headgear
Headgear uses an external wire known as a facebow and an elastic neck strap to gently hold the growth of your upper jaw. This growth coordination with the lower jaw will reduce the overjet (buck teeth) and improve your profile. With good continuous wear, the upper teeth can be moved to a better position. The strap has a safety strap which must be used to prevent injury.
Headgear Tube
A round, hollow attachment on your molar bands which hold the facebow used to apply backward pressure on the molars and upper jaw.
Mouthguard
A device that protects your mouth from injury when you participate in sports or rigorous activities. Dr. White will provide you with a specifically designed-for-braces mouthguard.
Palatal Expander
A device used to make your upper jaw wider by gently and gradually separating its two bones, which will subsequently fill in with new bone.
Retainer
An appliance that is worn after your braces or expansion appliance are removed. The retainer fits over the 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 placed.
Wax
Wax is used to cover a sharp wire or a sharp or pointed part of your brace which is irritating your cheek/lip.
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 adhesive.
Cephalometric Image
A digital x-ray image 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 an imprint of your teeth by biting into a pudding-like material that hardens into a soft mold. Dr. White will use these impressions to create digital models of your teeth and bite, to make appliances, and to make retainers.
Invisalign
An alternative to traditional braces, Invisalign straightens your teeth with a series of clear custom-molded aligners, created by combining Dr. Whites orthodontic knowledge and digital technology. Invisalign can correct some, but not all, orthodontic problems.
Ligation
The process of attaching an archwire to the brackets on your teeth.
Panoramic Image
A digital x-ray image of your teeth, jaw and other facial areas created by a rotation around your head.
