Archwire

This is the main wire that fits into the brackets or other attachments, on the outside of the teeth. It is fastened to your brackets by tiewires, or small plastic attachments. The archwire provides a track along which your teeth move.

Bite

This is another name for the way your teeth fit together when you bring them into a normal chewing relation.

Brackets

These little attachments are found on the small bands placed on your teeth and are glued on each tooth.

Crossbite

Nature intended for all of your teeth to fit in an orderly manner. That is, all of the upper teeth fitting slightly outside of your lower teeth.  When a lower tooth slips to the outside of an upper tooth, this is what we call a crossbite.

Hook

This is a small additional attachment that is placed on your archwire. It is usually used to attach rubber bands, or on occasion, a headgear, directly to the archwire. Should one of these break between appointments, notify the office immediately.

Malocclusion

Malocclusion = crooked teeth.  Mal = bad; occlusion = relation of teeth. Malocclusion is usually teeth that are chewing in a poor relationship with each other. This is the basic reason for orthodontic care.

Molar Bands

The small, thin metal ring that we cement your teeth. These are merely handles by which we can move, or hold, your teeth.

O-Ring

These little rings, also called A-lastics, are used to attach the arch wire to the brackets. These rings come in standard gray or clear, but also come in a wide variety of colors to make braces more fun. A-lastics are changed at every appointment to maintain good attachment of the arch wire to the bracket, enabling our patients to enjoy many different color schemes throughout treatment.

Overbite

This is merely a term to describe the upper teeth biting over the lower teeth. Some overbite is normal. Too much overbite can cause severe problems and facial changes.

Power Chain

Power chains are similar to the arch wire around every bracket, called elastic ligatures. The power chains are positioned in a manner that adds the required extra force in closing the gap between the teeth, and closing the gap only where required.

Spacers/Separators

Spacers are tiny elastics that are placed between the teeth to make a small space between the teeth. They wrap around the contact areas betwen your teeth. They are removed when the bands are placed on your teeth.