Lavrin and Lawrence Orthodontics

Choose a glossary:

Parts of Braces
Orthodontic Procedures

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 is cemented to your tooth and goes completely around your tooth. 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 their new position.

Headgear

Headgear uses an external wire apparatus known as a facebow to gently guide the growth of your face and jaw 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.

Module

The small elastic band that fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. They come in a variety of colours.

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 or metal spring that creates space between your teeth before the bands are attached.

Wax

Wax is used to stop your braces from irritating your lips.

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.

Consultation

A meeting with your orthodontist to discuss a treatment plan.

Debanding

The process of removing cemented orthodontic bands and brackets from your teeth.

I-CAT Scan

Three dimensional x-ray scan of the teeth and face giving superior diagnostic information to traditional x-rays.

Impressions

The process of making a model of your teeth by biting into a soft material that hardens into a mold of your teeth.

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.

OPG X-ray

An x-ray that rotates around your head to take pictures of your teeth, jaw and other facial areas.