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 acts as a track to guide your teeth as they move. It is changed periodically throughout treatment as your teeth move to new positions.
Band
A metal ring that is cemented to your tooth that goes completely around it. 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 your archwire in place.
Coil Spring
A spring that fits between your brackets and over your archwire to open space between your teeth.
Elastic (Rubber Band)
A small rubber band that is hooked between different points on your appliance to provide pressure to move your teeth to a new position.
Elastic Tie
The tiny rubber band that fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. They come in a variety of colors.
Headgear
Headgear uses an external wire apparatus known as a facebow to guide the growth of your face and jaw gently 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.
Headgear Tube
A round, hollow attachment on your back bands. The inner bow of your headgear fits into it.
Hook
A welded or removable arm to which elastics are attached.
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, while 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( ligature wire)
A fine 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.