Orthodontic Appliances

A metal wire which is attached to your brackets to move your teeth.

A metal ring that is usually placed on your teeth to hold on parts of your braces.

Brackets are the small metal or ceramic modules attached to each tooth. They serve as guides to move the teeth and hold the archwire in place.

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.

A stretchable plastic chain used to hold archwires into brackets and to move teeth.

Clear retainers that are utilized to hold teeth in position similar to that of a traditional retainer. They are less visible than traditional wire and acrylic retainers.

Elastics or rubber bands for braces help move the upper and lower teeth relative to each other, ultimately achieving a better bite. The orthodontic rubber bands are typically effective for correcting overbites, underbites, or other types of alignments of the jaw. They are also useful for moving a tooth out of alignment or to close a space in the mouth.

A small plastic piece, shaped like a donut, which is used to hold the archwires in the brackets on your teeth.

Fixed retainers consist of a metal wire bonded to the back of the teeth. Fixed retainers can stay in place indefinitely.

This simple device given to address severe thumb/finger sucking habit. It involves using a wire crib attached to two back braces.

An appliance that the orthodontist gives you to wear after your braces are removed. The retainer fits over your upper and / or lower teeth and holds them in the correct position while the bone around your teeth stabilizes. At first, you wear the retainer 24 hours a day, and then only at night.

Invisalign® is a series of clear, removable teeth aligners that both orthodontists and dentists use as an alternative to traditional metal dental braces.

A lingual arch is an orthodontic device which connects two molars in the upper or lower dental arch.

A device that is used to protect your mouth from injury when you are participating in sports. The use of a mouth guard is especially important for orthodontic patients, to prevent injuries.

The Nance button is utilized to hold teeth in position to allow for the movement of other teeth. The impact of the button on the lower palate creates force on the back molars.

A palatal expander, also known as a rapid palatal expander, rapid maxillary expansion appliance, palate expander or orthodontic expander, is used to widen the upper jaw so that the bottom and upper teeth will fit together better.

A Quad Helix (or quadhelix) is an orthodontic appliance for the upper teeth that is cemented in the mouth. It is attached to the molars by 2 bands and has two or four active helix springs that widen the arch of the mouth to make room for crowded teeth, or correct a posterior cross-bite, where lower teeth are buccal (outer) to the upper teeth.

Separators are tiny rubber bands or springs that your orthodontist places between your back teeth. These separators prepare your mouth for braces by creating a small gap between these teeth. This space allows for the placement of a metal band around your molar, which anchors your braces in your mouth.

An appliance that can be used on both arches for minor rotation and correction of anterior alignment.

The Transpalatal Bar (TPA) is a fixed appliance that is attached to bands on the upper molar teeth. The bar that sits across the roof of the palate fits into a soldered clip located on the bands.