Alastik™
Alastik Easy-To-Tie Ligatures are small rubber bands designed with a 45-degree bend that are hooked on brackets to hold the archwire in place.
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Archwire
A metal wire that is attached to your brackets to move your teeth.
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Band
Bands are the larger metal rings that are sometimes placed on back teeth for strength and anchorage.
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Bracket
Brackets are small metal or ceramic modules attached to each tooth. They serve as guides to move the teeth and hold the archwire in place. The brackets used in orthodontics today bond directly to the teeth with a tooth-colored bonding adhesive. They are much smaller and lighter than ever.
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Buccal Tube
A small metal part that is welded on the outside of a molar band. The molar band contains slots to hold archwires, lip bumpers, facebows and other things your orthodontist uses to move your teeth.
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Chain
A stretchable plastic chain used to hold archwires into brackets and to move teeth.
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Orascanner (used with SureSmile)
Used to take 3-D images of the teeth and sends them to the computer to build a complete 3-D model of the teeth.
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Palatal Expander
A device used to make your jaw wider.
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Retainer
A gadget that the orthodontist gives you to wear after your braces are removed. The retainer attaches to your upper and/or lower teeth and holds them in the correct position while your jaw hardens and your teeth get strongly attached to your jaw. At first, you wear the retainer 24 hours a day, and then only at night.
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Robots (used with SureSmile)
Used to custom bend space-age Shape Memory Alloy archwires exclusively for your orthodontic treatment.
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Rubber Bands
During various phases of treatment, small elastics or rubber bands are used as a gentle but continuous force to help individual tooth movement or the aligning of jaws.
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Separator/Spacer
A plastic or metal part that the orthodontist uses to create space between your teeth for bands.
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Wax
A clear wax used to prevent your braces from irritating your lips when your braces are first put on, or at other times.
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Orthodontic Procedures
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Adjustment
An evaluation of your progress where your wires may be changed to keep your treatment on track and moving forward.
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Banding
The process of cementing orthodontic bands to your teeth.
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Bonding
The process of attaching brackets to your teeth using a special safe adhesive.
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Cephalometric X-rays
An X-ray of the head that shows if your teeth are aligned and growing properly.
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Debonding
The removal of cemented orthodontic brackets.
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Panoramic X-rays
An X-ray taken by a machine that rotates around your head to give your orthodontist a picture of your teeth, jaws and other important information.
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Photographs
Facial and intraoral photographs will be taken prior to your braces going on and upon completion.
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Interceptive Treatment
Orthodontic treatment that is usually done between the ages of six and ten. The objective of interceptive orthodontic treatment is to provide orthopedic intervention, so that later orthodontic treatment goes quicker and is less painful.
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