Ortho Dictionary
Parts of Braces
Appliance
Anything your orthodontist attaches to your teeth that moves your teeth or changes the shape of your jaw.
Archwire
The metal wire that fits around the arch into slots on the brackets and bands. It 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.
Attachment
An area of tooth-colored filling material added to allow the Invisalign® aligners to hold on to the teeth better when moving them into their proper locations.
Band
A metal ring that is cemented to your tooth, going completely around it. Usually cemented to molars, bands provide a way to attach brackets to your teeth and are also used as handles for an expander.
Bond
The seal created by orthodontic adhesive (“glue”) that holds your appliances in place.
Bracket
A metal or ceramic part that is bonded to your tooth. It is usually square or rectangular. Located at its center is a slot where your archwire fits.
Buccal Tube
A type of metal bracket that is rectangular and shaped like a tube. A buccal tube is usually bonded directly to your tooth, but can also be welded to a band which is then cemented to your tooth.
Button
A metal or ceramic part similar to a bracket, but is circular and has no slot. It is bonded to your tooth and allows for elastic wear with the Invisalign® aligners.
Coil Spring
A spring that fits between your brackets and over your archwire to open or to close space between your teeth.
Elastic (aka Rubber Band)
A small rubber band that is hooked between different points on your appliance to provide gentle, continuous pressure to move your teeth and/or jaws to their new positions. We offer regular or neon colors.
Elastic Tie (aka O-Ring)
A type of ligature, an elastic tie is the rubber tie that fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. Elastic ties come in a variety of colors.
Expander
An appliance that makes your upper and/or lower jaw wider. An expander used for the upper jaw is often called a Palatal Expander.
Eyelet
A metal part similar to a bracket, but has a special small hole through which an elastic thread can be placed. It is bonded to your tooth to aid in moving the tooth into place, when it has not erupted enough for a bracket to be placed.
Hook
A welded or removable arm on a bracket or archwire to which elastics are attached.
Ligature
A rubber tie or thin wire that holds your archwire into your bracket via the bracket slot.
Mouthguard
A device that protects your mouth from injury when you participate in sports or rigorous activities.
Power Chain
A series of connected elastic ties that stretch along several brackets, pulling the teeth together and closing space.
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 teeth.
Separator (aka Spacer)
A small rubber ring that creates space between your teeth before the bands are attached.
Turbo
A metal part that is bonded to the back of the upper incisors to open the bite.
Wire Ligature Tie (aka Ligature Wire or Tie Wire)
A fine piece of wire that is twisted around your bracket to hold the archwire in place.
Wax
Wax is used to stop your braces from irritating your lips and cheeks.
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 (“glue”).
Cementing
The process of attaching bands to your teeth using special orthodontic cement (“glue”), which is different from adhesive.
Cephalometric X-ray
An x-ray of your head that shows the relative positions and growth of the face, jaws, and teeth.
Consultation
A meeting with your orthodontist or another team member to discuss some aspect of your orthodontic treatment.
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 holding in your mouth a tray with a soft material that hardens into a mold of your teeth. Dr. Held can use the models made from these impressions to study your teeth, and the lab can use the models made from these impressions to fabricate appliances.
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.
Periapical X-ray
An x-ray that takes small pictures of your teeth individually, giving Dr. Held the ability to see the crowns and the roots of your teeth, as well as the surrounding bone.
Types of Teeth & Locations in the Mouth
Anterior
The front region of the mouth.
Anterior Teeth
The front three teeth in each quadrant of the mouth. They include the Incisors and Canines.
Arch
All teeth in either the upper or the lower jaw.
Buccal
Adjacent to the cheek.
Canine (aka Cuspid or Eye Tooth)
The third tooth from the midline of each arch, between the lateral incisor and the premolar in each quadrant of the mouth. Canines are known to support the corners of the mouth.
Incisor
The front tooth (Central Incisor) and the side front tooth (Lateral Incisor) in each quadrant of the mouth.
Lingual
Adjacent to the tongue.
Midline
The line between the right and left Central Incisors in the upper or lower arches.
Molar
A posterior tooth in the mouth. There are usually three molars that pose as the last three teeth in the arch in each quadrant of the mouth. The last, third molar is also known as a wisdom tooth.
Palatal
Adjacent to the roof of the mouth.
Posterior
The back region of the mouth.
Posterior Teeth
The back five teeth in each quadrant of the mouth. They include the premolars and molars.
Premolar (aka Bicuspid)
A posterior tooth in the mouth. There are usually two premolars that are located between the canines and molars in each quadrant of the mouth.
Quadrant
The mouth can be divided into four sections, two upper halves and two lower halves. Each of the sections is called a quadrant, representing one-fourth of the mouth.
