Parts of Braces

Appliance: Anything your orthodontist attaches to your teeth which moves your teeth or changes the shape of your jaw.

Attachments: Attachments are utilized to improve the efficacy of Invisalign. They are tooth-shade matched mini-composite bondings that allow the aligners to hold the teeth and achieve desired movements. They are usually placed at the first or second aligner delivery visit.

Archwire: The metal wire that acts as a track to guide your teeth along as they move. It provides light pressure to move your teeth. The archwire 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 braces in place.

Bracket: A metal or ceramic part cemented ("bonded") to your tooth that holds your archwire in place. This "handle" on your tooth transfers light pressure from the archwire and elastics to the teeth.

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 braces to provide pressure to move your teeth to their new position.

Elastic Tie: A very small "rubber band" that fits around your bracket to hold the archwire in place. These ties come in a variety of colors.

Expander: A device that makes your jaw wider. There are several types of expanders we use in our office.

Headgear: Headgear uses an external wire apparatus to guide the growth of your face and jaw by moving your teeth into proper position. The force is applied to the external wire appliance by a neck, head strap or facial mask, depending on the type of problem.

Headgear Tube: A round, hollow attachment on your back bands. The inner bow of your headgear fits into/hooks onto it.

Hook: A welded or removable arm to which elastics are attached.

i-CAT: The i-CAT™ Cone Beam 3-D Imaging System uses advanced 3-D technology to provide the most complete anatomical information on a patient's mouth, face, and jaw areas, leading to the more accurate treatment planning and predictable outcomes for dental procedures.

Ligature: A thin wire that holds your archwire into your bracket. It may also tie teeth together underneath the archwire.

Lip Bumper: A lip bumper is an archwire and is sometimes attached to a molded piece of plastic. The lip bumper holds back the molars 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. If you wear braces, you need to wear a specialized orthodontic mouthguard that is available in our office. Non-orthodontic mouthguards can damage braces and add time and expense to your treatment!

Retainer: An appliance that is worn after your braces are removed, the retainer attaches to your 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 that creates space between your teeth before the bands are attached. It fits between teeth, and feels like food caught between the teeth.

SureSmile: A SureSmile orthodontist provides state-of-the-art orthodontic treatment. Instead of bending an archwire by hand, a SureSmile doctor uses advanced 3-D imaging, virtual simulations and robotically bent archwires customized for your treatment. When the SureSmile wire is inserted into your brackets, each tooth moves directly to the prescribed position. Your teeth don't move faster with SureSmile - they move with precision that was never before possible.

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

Wax: Wax is placed on an area if something feels sharp. It should be used only when there is something that is irritating you and used only sparingly.

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: A specialized x-ray of your head taken in our office. This x-ray shows the relative positions and growth of the face, jaws, and teeth. It may show either a lateral or frontal view.

Consultation: A meeting with Dr. Lee Graber or Dr. Katie Graber to discuss treatment. We will sometimes refer you to discuss treatment with your general or pediatric dentist, an oral surgeon or a periodontist.

Debanding: The process of removing cemented orthodontic bands from your teeth.

Debonding: The process of removing cemented orthodontic brackets from your teeth.

Impressions: The process of making a model of your teeth by biting into a soft material that hardens into a mold of your teeth. Drs. Graber will use these impressions to prepare your treatment plan.

Interproximal reduction: The process of removing small amounts of tooth structure to create space or improved shape of the teeth for movement and tooth stability.

Invisalign®: An alternative to traditional braces, Invisalign® straightens your teeth with a series of clear custom-molded aligners. Graber Orthodontics is a Premier practice provider of Invisalign® services. Our Premier Invisalign status reflects the number of our patients treated with Invisalign.

Panoramic X-ray: An x-ray in which the specialized x-ray machine in our office rotates around your head to take pictures of your teeth and jaws.

Red, White and Blue: The Red, White and Blue appliances offer an aesthetic solution to those adults who are just outside the normal range of other removable tooth aligning appliances. The system consists of one to three invisible active appliances.