Orthodontic dictionary

Anything your orthodontist attaches to your teeth that moves your teeth or changes the shape of your jaw or helps to protect your teeth, such as braces or Invisalign®.

An alternative to traditional braces, Invisalign straightens your teeth with a series of clear, custom 3D-printed aligners.

A device that protects your mouth from injury when you participate in sports or rigorous activities.

A palatal expander is a device that makes your upper jaw wider.

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.

The process of fitting and cementing orthodontic bands to your teeth.

The process of attaching brackets to your teeth using special orthodontic cement.

An X-ray of your head that shows the relative positions and growth of the face, jaws, and teeth.

A meeting with your orthodontist to discuss a potential orthodontic treatment plan.

The process of removing cemented orthodontic bands from your teeth.

The process of removing cemented orthodontic brackets from your teeth.

A model of your mouth made by biting into a soft material that hardens into a mold of your teeth or made digitally using the iTero scanner.

The process of attaching an archwire to the brackets on your teeth.

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

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.

A metal ring that is cemented to your tooth that goes completely around it. Bands provide a way to attach brackets to your teeth.

The seal created by orthodontic cement that holds your appliances in place.

A metal or ceramic part cemented (“bonded”) to your tooth that holds your archwire in place.

A spring that fits between your brackets and over your archwire to open or hold space between your teeth.

A small rubber band that is hooked between different points on your appliance to provide pressure to move your teeth to a new position.

The tiny rubber band that fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. They come in a variety of colors.

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.

A round, hollow attachment on your back bands. The inner bow of your headgear fits into it.

A welded or removable arm to which elastics are attached.

A thin wire that holds your archwire into your bracket.

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.

A small rubber ring that creates space between your teeth before the bands are attached.

A fine wire that is twisted around your bracket to hold the archwire in place.

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