DEFINITION OF ORTHODONTIC TERMS

• Appliance:  

Any device used by an orthodontist to help straighten teeth.  They can be fixed (stuck onto the teeth) or removable

• Banding:  

Process of fitting small rings (bands) onto the back teeth to hold the appliance together.

• Bands:  

Small metal rings stuck onto the back teeth.

• Bonding:  

Process of fitting the brackets onto the teeth.  This is the main part of putting on the brace.

• Brace:  

Orthodontic appliance used to straighten the teeth.  Could be either a fixed brace – stuck onto the teeth – or a removable brace.

• Brackets:  

Parts stuck onto the teeth.  Can be silver, clear or gold.

• Cross bite:  

Situation where the top and bottom teeth meet on the wrong side of each other.  This often happens to children who suck their thumbs for a prolonged period during childhood. 

• Deep bite:  

Situation where the top front teeth cover more than 1/3 of the bottom front teeth.  This can cause traumatic damage to the palate, gums and can cause teeth to be worn down.

• Donuts:  

Small elastic rings that hold the wire into the brace.These come in a variety of colours – glow-in-the-dark, fluorescent and clear (see-through).

• Elastics:  

Tiny elastic bands that go from the top to the bottom teeth.  When worn as instructed they move the teeth into their correct positions, for example, pulling back prominent buck teeth.

• Fixed brace:  

Orthodontic appliance that is stuck onto the teeth.  It can be silver, clear or gold. 

• Malocclusion:  

When teeth are crooked and bite together in the wrong way.

• Occlusion:  

How the teeth bite together.

• Open bite: 

Situation when a space is present between the front teeth when a person bites on their back teeth.

• Overbite: 

This is how far the top front teeth cover the bottom front teeth when a person bites together.

• Overjet: 

This is how far the top front teeth stick out relative to the bottom front teeth.

• Pericision: 

Procedure where microscopic fibres surrounding the teeth are cut to prevent the teeth from going back to their former positions once the brace is taken off.  Performed mainly on teeth that were originally very twisted.

• Removable brace: 

Brace that can be taken off, usually made of plastic.  This brace however must still be worn for most of the day for it to be effective.

• Retainer: 

Appliance worn once the brace has been removed to hold the teeth in their new positions until the teeth are settled.  This can be worn for up to 1 year (clear removable retainers) or sometimes longer (fixed retainers stuck onto the back of the teeth).

• Separators: 

Small blue elastic rings fitted in between the back teeth for a few days to create space to allow the bands to be fitted. 

• Tightening braces: 

Teeth move in installments.  Every 4-6 weeks, we will check the progress of the movement of your teeth.  We will also adjust the wires to move onto the next stage of straightening your teeth.  Often the wires used are a little stiffer.  This is why the brace may feel a little tight for a day or two.

• Wires:

Part of the brace which straightens the teeth.  The wires used to start straightening your teeth are made of space-age materials used by NASA!

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